{"id":8517,"date":"2019-05-30T00:04:40","date_gmt":"2019-05-29T23:04:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/?p=8517"},"modified":"2019-06-03T20:24:05","modified_gmt":"2019-06-03T19:24:05","slug":"concert-review-kenneth-woods-conducts-orchestra-of-the-swan-a-most-thoughtfully-designed-programme-expertly-delivered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kennethwoods.net\/blog1\/2019\/05\/30\/concert-review-kenneth-woods-conducts-orchestra-of-the-swan-a-most-thoughtfully-designed-programme-expertly-delivered\/","title":{"rendered":"Concert Review – Kenneth Woods Conducts Orchestra of the Swan “A Most Thoughtfully Designed Programme, Expertly Delivered”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thanks to John Quinn from\u00a0Seen and Heard International<\/a>\u00a0for this lovely and comprehensive review of last night’s epic\u00a0Orchestra of the Swan<\/a> concert with\u00a0April Fredrick, soprano<\/a>. Read the whole thing here.<\/p>\n

“The concert opened with one of Mozart\u2019s Divertimenti…given dapper performances”<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Soprano April Fredrick<\/p><\/div>\n

“Far greater substance was provided by David Matthews\u2019 new work… there was a\u00a0 great deal to admire in both music and performance. Matthews has given his soprano soloist a wonderful stream of melody \u2013 often sensual in nature \u2013 and April Fredrick seized the moment, singing with gorgeous tone. The music ranges over a wide vocal compass and Miss Fredrick\u2019s gleaming top register was often heard to great advantage but also the lower-lying passages were beautifully produced. I was struck by the singer\u2019s complete engagement with the music…I relished the woodwind writing and also the truly lovely string postlude with which the work ends. In brief spoken remarks before the concert, Kenneth Woods described Le Lac as \u2018communicative and evocative\u2019. I agree. His expert conducting of this premiere gave further evidence of his empathy with this composer\u2019s music. I liked Le Lac very much. It\u2019s a fine, rich piece and I\u2019m keen to hear it again in again”<\/p>\n

“Woods\u2019 arrangement of the [Death and the Maiden] variations is very skilful. He opens with Schubert\u2019s variation theme presented by a solo quartet of strings, then the scoring expands to include all the strings and eventually the rest of the players are involved for the variations themselves. At the end of his piece, Kenneth Woods presents the song itself and the soprano is ushered in, very fittingly, by Schubert\u2019s dark D minor chords, played on the harmonium. April Fredrick sang Schubert\u2019s song with fine feeling. I thought the piece as a whole was a most effective Schubertian arrangement and Woods\u2019 idea to bring the variations back to the song itself, the fons et origo, was very imaginative. The Orchestra of the Swan played the piece most persuasively under Woods\u2019 guidance.”<\/p>\n