The Armidale Symphony Orchestra will present its final concert for 2012 on December 2 at 3pm in Lazenby Hall, UNE.
Conducted by Graham Maddox, the orchestra will perform a selection of works from the classical and romantic eras. The concert will open with Symphony No 30 by W A Mozart. Written in 1774, the symphony calls on a smaller portion of the orchestra, comprising strings, two oboes, horns, trumpets and one bassoon.
Following the symphony is Ferdinand David’s 1837 Concertino for Trombone and Orchestra Op 4. This piece is a cornerstone of the trombone repertoire, showcasing a broad range of romantic expressive styles. David Brown joins the orchestra as soloist for this concertino, displaying a variety of colours from a bold, heroic, brassy sound in the outer movements through to a warm, intense timbre for the inner funeral march. Having played trombone in the orchestra for many years, mentoring and guiding younger members, Brown is thrilled to be placed at the front of the ensemble to perform a work he has fond memories of from his studies at the Victorian College of the Arts. The enthusiasm to which David brings to this work is uncontrollable, proving that music is something we are to enjoy.
The final work in the program is Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No 8 in G Major. The composer, in a mere two-and-a-half-months in 1889, completed this large work, however there are definitely no corners cut!
Drawing inspiration from his love of Bohemian folk music, Dvorak stepped outside the norm of Romantic composers writing in a dramatic, dark and tragic style, to composing with a lighter and happier flair. Each instrument has a moment in this masterpiece, from the opening melody played by cello, horn and clarinet to the trumpet fanfare announcing the final movement.
The piece ends with an extraordinary tutti, a wonderful end to a successful season of concerts for the Armidale Symphony Orchestra.
