Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra’s sublime classics
By Madeleine Murray
THE DYNAMIC NORTHERN RIVERS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA will present three classic works at the Murwillumbah Civic Centre on Sunday July 21. Melbourne-based Mexican conductor Carlos del Cueto will lead an exciting program of works by Beethoven, Mozart and Mendelssohn.
Beethoven’s Overture to King Stephen begins with a stirring call to attention, then develops and recapitulates two different themes, both with a folksy Hungarian character. In this music we hear seeds of the Ninth Symphony, which would be written more than a decade later.
“I don’t quite understand why Beethoven’s King Stephen overture is so rarely played. I’ve actually never heard it in a live performance,” Carlos told The Weekly. “This is strange to me because it is such a concise, charming, and joyful piece, and I’d argue it is a better concert piece than many of the better-known overtures by Beethoven.”
Carlos will also be conducting Mendelssohn’s Symphony No 5, known as The Reformation. “This symphony was written to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the Augsburg convention, a key moment in the history of the Lutheran faith,” Carlos said. “The whole work is a marvellous example of Mendelssohn’s invention and mastery of the orchestra as an expressive medium.”
Carlos has conducted orchestras such as The Hallé, Manchester Camerata, Britten Sinfonia, and was principal conductor of the Cambridge University Symphony Orchestra. He has flourished as a conductor of orchestras, choirs and operas in Europe and Australia.
Nathaniel Smorti is the soloist for the Clarinet Concerto in A Major by Mozart.
“Playing any piece of Mozart can be an emotional and complicated experience for many modern musicians – myself included,” Nathaniel told The Weekly.
“Mozart wrote his clarinet concerto in 1791 around the time he wrote The Magic Flute. For me both works are full of characters of all types, life in all its flavours, and intensely felt emotion. I believe that if I do my job well, we’ll get a taste of all that operatic drama on Sunday; The Magic Clarinet, if you will.”
Nathaniel has performed as concerto soloist across New Zealand. This Sublime Classics concert is Nathaniel’s Australian concerto debut.
Sublime Classics is at 2:30pm on Sunday July 21 at the Murwillumbah Civic Centre, 10-14 Tumbulgum Rd, Murwillumbah. For more info and tickets, go to nrso.com.au, or at Murwillumbah Music. Tickets also at the door if not sold out.