‘Classic Opera’
Musica da Camera
String Orchestra
Musical Director:
Leonard Weiss
Louise Page, Soprano
Sts Peter & Paul’s
Catholic Cathedral, Goulburn NSW - 23 September
Reviewed by Len Power
In addition to their Saturday afternoon performance in Cook,
Musica da Camera string orchestra played a second performance on Sunday at Sts
Peter & Paul’s Catholic Cathedral in Goulburn. The acoustic in the cathedral has been much
praised so it was a good opportunity to travel to Goulburn to listen to the
orchestra in that setting. Hearing the soprano,
Louise Page, singing in that venue was another very good reason to go.
For the first half of the program, Louise Page performed arias
by the composers – Handel, Purcell, Gluck and Mozart. The arias covered a wide range of emotions and
all were beautifully sung. Hearing her
top notes filling the cathedral was thrilling.
Page gives great depth to the characters she is singing and they come
alive for the audience. She was
especially memorable singing Handel’s ‘Ah! Spietato’ from ‘Amadigi de Gaula’
with nicely played oboe from the orchestra accompanying, Purcell’s, ‘When I am
laid in earth’ from ‘Dido and Aenaeas’, Gluck’s ‘Che faro senza Euridice’ from ‘L’Orfeo’
and ‘E Susanna…Dove Sono’ from Mozart’s ‘The Marriage of Figaro’. The balance between singer and orchestra was
nicely judged and the musical accompaniment for all of the items was well
conducted by Leonard Weiss.
The orchestra, which was augmented with some brass and wind
instruments for the concert, played Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 for the second
half of the program. Musical director, Leonard
Weiss, achieved a tight, clear sound with lots of colour from the
orchestra. It was well played and
sounded excellent in the cathedral.
There was only a small audience at the concert which deserved
a much better response from Goulburn residents, especially as they played for
just a gold coin donation. I recommend
making the trip to Goulburn next time the orchestra plays there. They sound wonderful in that cathedral.
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast in his ‘On Stage’ performing arts radio program on Mondays
and Wednesdays from 3.30pm on Artsound FM 92.7.