Concert Review: Sinfonietta-Frang-HallsMay 14, CH
HK Sinfonietta - Vilde Frang - Matthew Halls
Haydn and Britten
Each half opened with Haydn and ended with Britten. Matthew Halls is an early music specialist but it was Britten who fared the better.
Haydn's Overture L'Isola Disabitata was tidy. But the Symphony No. 96, "Miracle", was too cautious. Perhaps the Sinfonietta was not quite attuned to quasi-period style playing. In any case, the inner movements (the wind playing was good) fared better than the outer ones, which came across as a little square. I also think the Sinfonietta is in my experience (more often than not) not so effective in reduced configuration.
Britten's Violin Concerto received a faultless rendition by Vilde Frang. She has a natural, breathing style and sweet tone across the spectrum. A minor quibble is that her sound is slightly on the small side, given that I was seated only in the middle of the hall (I also heard her in Carnegie Hall, which was too big for her I thought). The orchestral part was tidy and well controlled though the ultimate chemistry between soloist and orchestra was missing. Most unexpected was an absolutely superbly characterized Four Sea Interludes - each tableau was wonderfully detailed and harmonically full, the entire effect thrilling. Even played by famous orchestras, this piece can often be a bore in concert, but this account is a happy exception.
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