Rave reviews for philharmonic orchestra in the realm of the Midnight Sun
10/05/2011 10:27 am
The residents of Tromsø have not only clasped the Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra to their bosom. They have embraced them warmly. Read the concert review in Nordlys , the regional newspaper.
On the warmest evening of the year to date, the orchestra was received by a near full house in the main concert chamber of the Tromsø Kulturhus – and they would barely let the musicians, soloists and conductor go. The orchestra and the two soloists, Tromsø’s own Knut Erik Sundquist and Bodø’s Arvid Engegård, alike needed to perform two encores. The fact that the orchestra chose two movements from Swan Lake certainly did not reduce its popularity.
Finlandia has become Finland’s national great achievement, a fantastic musical composition containing much of its history, about its people and temperament. Sibelius starts with the wind players performing with all the power and stamina found in the Finnish population. He then lets the string players carefully describe the pleasure you have, the play and interaction among the proud people of our neighbouring country, before he blends the entire orchestra together in a fantastic finale.
Unlike Sibelius, the for my mind unknown composer Giovanni Bottensini, plays with both us and the musicians in his Gran Duo Cortertante . And to the highest possible degree this playfulness included the two soloists, Engegård and Sundquist. You would have to search far and wide for the likes of their musical interplay. They master their instruments almost to perfection, and stretch the musical boundaries so far to the outer limit out that it makes fun of it. The wildly enthusiastic audience would barely let go of them. It was literally a play with variations, a fantastic dance over the strings of the violin and double bass.
Tchaikovsky’s last symphony is an exertion for the musicians. It creates a sad atmosphere, but is more playful in the third movement performed in a way that shows the potential that exists in the Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra, not least among the wind players, who the conductor paid special attention to when the orchestra received the audience's ovation and cheers.
Read the full Nordlys review (in Norwegian language only).
