Press

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /usr/www/users/paulikar/wp-content/themes/retlehs-roots-cdc3267/functions.php on line 106

“The first ever symphony concert at Logomo was magnificently carried out by the Karelia State Philharmonic Symphony Orchesta from Petroskoy, conducted by José Maria Moreno. Even though the night froze outside, the fingers of the musicians were not frozen. Michail Glinka’s prelude “Ruslan and Lyudmila” ran with virtuosity from beginning to end. The orchestra played with rhythmic precision. A fine interpretation! And of course, the Russians know their Rachmaninoff. The piano soloist in his Piano Concerto no. 2 was Pauli Kari from Turku. The piano texture in the concerto varies, but Pauli Kari’s grasp of the dynamic held throughout the concert. The solo parts stood out organically from the sound weave of the orchestra. Rachmaninoff’s composition is masterly, and none of the orchestral sections rise above one another. While observing the orchestra I suddenly noticed that no-one else in the orchestra was playing, and realised how the orchestral texture of the piano replaced the whole orchestra. Although the artificial acoustics of the hall did not seem to amplify the music in a very notable manner – it would have been interesting to compare it with a non-manipulated situation -Rachmaninoff’s music rolled over the hall like a great wave from the very first string themes onwards. In Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique the string section did not reach the kind of harmony that it did in the earlier numbers, but even here the connection between the conductor and the orchestra was admirably fine-tuned. The composition, at the time of its creation, was very modern, and this genial piece of music was not easily accepted in its contemporary music circles. The energy of José Maria Moreno caught on with the orchestra, and even the minutest details of the symphony stood out in the interpretation. For instance, the harp solos and the melodious brass parts of Dies Irae in the finale deserve a special mention. The first encore played by the orchestra was Sibelius’s Finlandia, which also rolled out with majestic energy. To the delight of the audience, Moreno also turned out to be an excellent tenor singing he first vocal part of the piece. The second encore was from Bizet’s opera Carmen, the Toreador song, and Moreno invited the entire audience to join in. At this point, the enthusiastic audience almost couldn’t keep up with Moreno’s tempo in their clapping. ”

-Turun Sanomat News/12/2011

Leave a Reply