A mixed bag at Auckland Chamber Orchestra's Four Seasons concert

An evening of Adagio cello concertante works in Auckland was enlivened by a stirring Beethoven Fifth. 

As usual, the performances here were thoroughly committed, but repeated cases of uncertain intonation and rhythmic imprecision prevented them from reaching the heights the audience have experienced in earlier programmes.

The audience for Lucia di Lammermoor was treated to a young, very believable cast showcasing a star in the making in the form of New Zealand-born Samoan soprano Marlena Devoe. 

Auckland Chamber Orchestra’s stunningly played “Voice of the Whale” concert featured 20th-century and contemporary works, including pieces by George Crumb, Michel van der Aa and John Adams.

Auckland Chamber Orchestra returned to Raye Freedman Arts Centre with a typically eclectic programme. The pieces were performed in reverse chronological order, from Ligeti of the 1950s back to Wagner of the 1860s, via Poulenc and Janáček.

The day before Stravinsky’s 131st birthday, the Auckland Chamber Orchestra and conductor Peter Scholes presented a programme built around the Russian composer’s Concerto for Piano and Wind Instruments and featuring works by Lyell Cresswell, George Antheil and Brett Dean. Lyell Cresswell is a New Zealand composer currently living in Scotland.