Reflections by the Orchestra of Opera North

The final concert in the Kirklees concert season 2018-2019 was performed by the Orchestra of Opera North, presented under the title of “Reflections.” The performance started with Lutoslawski’s ‘Musique Funebre’, followed by Richard Strauss’ ‘Four Last Songs’ and concluded with Bruckner’s Symphony no.7.

The concert itself has been described by one veteran concertgoer as “I’ve never heard a sound like it, when they all played together” which seems to suggest the concert was amazing and was a good way to finish the Kirklees Concert Season of 2018-19.

Not only was this just down to the Orchestra, it was also controlled by such a “dynamic conductor” Dalia Stasevska who only made her debut in the UK one year ago in the Kirklees Concert Season, but now after building such a good reputation for herself she has been appointed Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC symphony Orchestra. It has been said that she “expertly managed the sense of power under the restraint that drives the opening, the contrasts between declamatory brass and dancing woodwind or meditative strings and those splendid moments when a repeated phrase builds, seemingly inevitably, into a glorious climax.”

It is also appropriate to give credit to Romanian Soprano Ana Maria Labin who “found the dynamic and emotional range for the songs perfectly, through the balance between singer and large orchestra was sometimes strained. When that orchestra got even larger and was let of the leash, the second half proved riveting – and exhausting for both musicians and audience.”

Be sure to watch out for the new concert season starting September 2019, and to read more about the final concert at the link below.

For more information visit https://www.thereviewshub.com/reflections-town-hall-huddersfield/