Charming classical music – New Zealand Symphony Orchestra on the road
New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) will stop by Queenstown this month, bringing a touch of spring with them, with the Serenade programme. Expect sparkling gems from the Classical and Romantic repertoire, featuring pieces by composers Andrée, Haydn and Brahms.
Sadly forgotten until the 1980s, Elfrida Andrée was one of Sweden’s first female composers and a trailblazer in her own time. Her Andante Recitative for Strings is exquisitely intimate and completely charming. Similarly, Brahms’ Serenade No. 1 has been somewhat forgotten, overshadowed by his titanic symphonies, but this six-movement serenade, Classical in form but Romantic in sound, never fails to delight.
NZSO Section Principal Cello Andrew Joyce performs Joseph Haydn’s Cello Concerto No.1. Remarkably, the piece was only rediscovered in the 20th century, and since then, it has mesmerised and delighted audiences with its exuberance, bravura and humour.
“It’s just a really fun piece to play,” Joyce says. “It’s technically demanding but not on the level of some of the concertos, which are much more stressful. This one’s not as stressful to play, and I can really just enjoy it.”
Originally from the UK, Joyce regularly worked with the London Symphony and London Philharmonic Orchestras, touring and performing in some of the world’s most renowned concert halls, before meeting his Kiwi now-wife Julia. The pair live in Wellington and Joyce loves being a part of NZSO.
“It’s quite a contrast to London. It’s infinitely more beautiful, for starters. London’s a great place. I always maintain London’s the best city in the world to visit, it’s a very tough place to live, especially as a musician. It’s, sort of, working every day of the month just to make ends meet.”
He described working in London as being on a hamster wheel, playing multiple different programmes a week, as opposed to here where they take a piece or programme and play it a few times around the country. The NZSO are all based in Wellington and have more of a focus on touring.
“The schedule is much more civilised – there’s a much better work-life balance here.”
The piece Joyce will be playing is something he first learnt as a teenager and was one of the first concertos he ever played with an orchestra, so he’s really looking forward to it. Being a soloist means he’ll get to sit in front of the orchestra, which he describes as really special.
“It’s always such a supportive collegial experience. It’s a really, really cool thing to do, you just feel like everyone’s got your back and they want the best.”
Modern day access to music has changed the way we enjoy it, from compressed digital files to poorer-quality sound equipment and this ever-evolving digital world in which we live. By going and seeing live music you’re getting a one-off experience, and with an orchestra of 60+ individuals, it doesn’t get much more exciting.
“There’s nothing quite like the live experience. It sounds cliché but we’ve all heard live music – you hear it in the street, you hear it in cafés and bars, but to hear an orchestra – to have that many musicians, all with a common goal to make this piece of music come alive, you can’t get that experience off a record.”
NZSO will perform Serenade at Queenstown Memorial Theatre on Thursday, 22 October. You can find out more about the programme, NZSO and the artists at nzso.co.nz/events/serenade
