German Tour Reviews

Gallus Concerts: In Sinfonia Toronto all are virtuosos, without exception By Albrecht Schmidt 26.11.2008

FLöRSHEIM - Among the innovations included by the traditional Flörsheim Gallus Concerts is a broadening of musical contexts. So last Sunday afternoon the audience experienced the opening of the 2008/2009 season with an appearance by the renowned Canadian chamber orchestra Sinfonia Toronto in the Gallus Church, which was filled to capacity.

Led by the Armenian conductor Nurhan Arman, the thirteen strings began the
Flörsheim program with the Suite for String Orchestra (1877) by Leos Janacek.

The violin section (with a majority of female players) rendered the somber and demonic opening movement Moderato aggressively and ferociously. Voluptuously blooming melodies flowed into a pizzicato figure which led to an elegiac secondary subject. Subtle blends of sound and ensemble combinations brought pleasing colours to Janácek’s music: the pastel tones and ethereally melting sounds of the Adagio (without a bass part) seemed inspired by Wagner's Lohengrin Prelude; then came the dance-like and dynamic Andante con moto, and thence the impetuous and boisterous finale sounding rather harsh and more weakly composed.

The concertmaster Mary-Elizabeth Brown was the soloist in the Rondo in A major of Franz Schubert, an optimistic piece, free of clashes, which the composer wrote as a 19-year-old in 1816. Right away in the Adagio introduction Mary-Elizabeth Brown astonished with a large, glistening violin tone. In the Rondo she used accentuation freely, mischievously jumping around from singing out loudly to very expressive cantilenas but showed some weakness in the rapid virtuoso passages of the last part.

As a reference to their homeland the ensemble had included in the program the Two Canadian Sketches for chamber orchestra by the Canadian composer Ernest MacMillan: innocent for emerging in 1927, epigonously trivial in the late-romantic style of Grieg or at most reminiscent of Bartok style folk melodies. Particularly pleasing was the second piece with its folk-dance motives.

Antonin Dvoráks popular string Serenade in E-Major op. 22 (1875) was the final work on the program. In the five movements shaped with perfecting care Nurhan Arman provided his standing ensemble with conducting gestures that were sharp-edged, soft, flowing and always playful. With a joyful sprint with the witty score he served Dvorák as a lighthearted, feel-good package. Agility, verve and temperament, full of feeling in the quieter lyrical sections pulsated this reading with life and made it clear that Sinfonia Toronto was an ensemble of world class.

Here are without exception virtuosos at work who were encouraged by the enthusiastic Flörsheim audience to play two encores: two waltzes by Aram Khatschaturian (Masquerade) and Peter Tchaikovsky (String Serenade C-major op. 48).

FULDA - As eloquent ambassadors of Canada and guests of Hessische Radio, the thirteen brilliant musicians of Sinfonia Toronto filled the auditorium of the Alten Universitat in Fulda with intoxicating harmony. Under the spirited yet sensitive leadership of Armenian conductor Nurhan Arman, this chamber orchestra offered compositions by Elgar, Tschaikowsky and Dvorak and supplemented the romantic program with a work the Canadian MacMillan.

To start with the audience heard the Serenade in E-Major Opus 20 by Elgar. This piece was performed by an ensemble from Prague in the Furstensaal a few days ago. But how different the work sounded this time: the three movements unfolded their themes with a wealth of lyrical expression, filling the hall with full string sound and still maintaining the clarity of the structure. The tempi worked well with the acoustics of the hall.

Even better was the artistry of controlled ecstatic sound in Tschaikowsky’s Serenade Opus 70, known under the title of “Souvenir de Florence.” Here Arman let his 13 musicians really work sound magic: not only in the captivating duet between the concertmaster and the cello, or in the ease with which they danced through the rhythms, but also in the small dynamic responses, which propelled the ensemble’s big crescendos to an impressive climax.

After the intermission the “Two Canadian Sketches” by MacMillan were performed, a work from 1927, with Canadian folk songs set in traditional harmonies. The qualities of the ensemble were evident once again as it performed Dvorak’s Serenade in E-Minor Opus 22: the wit of the exchange between the violin cantilena and the depth of the violas and cellos, and the wonderful balance between hesitation and happiness in the third movement waltzes. Here there were also strengths of interpretation, not only the seamlessly woven texture of the sound but also the pursuit of a fine web of motivic relationships.

This was a concert for which at the end there was very appropriate storm of applause, and to which those who could not be present can listen on Friday, January 9, at 8:05 pm in a Hessische Radio broadcast.

A Five-Course Menu with a rich Dessert
Sinfonia Toronto gives a Warburg Masterconcert with a highly enjoyable Program

Warburg - Concert programs vary according to established principles. Didactic programs are very common. They usually consist of works from different eras. There are showy programs centred primarily on the virtuosity of the featured soloists, and then there are programs that are similar to a successful gourmet menu, concocted for the benefit of the audience. Such a tastefully rounded five-course menu was served on Friday evening in the packed hall of the Warburger Gymnasium Marianum by Canada’s 13-member Sinfonia Toronto with their conductor Nurhan Arman as the musical chef.

As the first course the standing ensemble of eight violins, two violas, two cellos and string bass presented a divinely prepared orchestral suite by Leos Janacek, followed by a very hot serving of Schubert Rondo in A Major by Concertmaster and solo violinist Mary-Elizabeth Brown, a very secure and powerful player. But what actually transported the sympathetic violinist into a disarmingly childlike joy was the thundering applause the Warburg audience gave to the Canadian violinist following her virtuoso performance of the "Zigeunerweisen" by Pablo de Sarasate.

After these three epicurean and highly attractive appetizers, one of the exciting main courses came next, in particular because Maestro Arman conducted the "Two Canadian Sketches" by Ernest MacMillan (1893-1973) -- a dish which had been selected from the regional kitchen for this tour and was probably presented for the first time in Germany.

The nine-minute work the Toronto composer wrote in 1927 consists of two parts, an Adagio of which the centre is a very beautiful and tender tune that was based on a Canadian Aboriginal melody. The second part of the composition, a Presto, which takes its theme from the cultural heritage of the European settlers, was however in its compositional execution too roughly carved a portion of lumberjack folklore to make a lasting impression. Even though it was a small morsel next to the main course on the plate, it was a good decision to add this piece of authentic Canadian musical history to the program, especially Dvorak’s E-flat Major Serenade following as a rich dessert.

Sinfonia Toronto is a real success, satisfying even the most demanding musical connoisseurs.

(Photo caption) Warburg on Sunday - An extraordinary Master Concert: Sinfonia Toronto played romantic string music last Friday at the Aula Gymnasium Marianum. Conductor Nurhan Arman directed and guided his musicians through the idiosyncratic and demanding score with seemingly boundless energy.

Strings arouse romantic feelings
Master Concert: Sinfonia Toronto thrilled the audience in the Hall of the Marianum

Warburg (WB) - Just in time for last Friday’s Master Concert some Canadian weather broke over Warburg: a fine layer of snow covered the roof of the Gymnasium Marianum. Cold weather outside, warm sonorities inside: Sinfonia Toronto arrived and they filled the hall with romantic string music.

The Suite by Leos Janacek which opened the evening concert is in the tradition of late 19th Century: the impetus is narrative and rhapsodic. The young composer experimented with the sound registers of the string ensemble and found his own highly original voice.

Conductor Nurhan Arman directed and guided his musicians through the idiosyncratic and challenging score with almost boundless energy. The interpretation we heard was the result of intensive rehearsals paying attention to inner details and it was sensitive, committed and well thought-out.

With her solo in Schubert's "Rondo in A major" and Sarasate’s "Zigeunerweisen" violinist Mary-Elizabeth Brown played right into the hearts of the Warburg audience. Schubert Rondo is especially challenging for the performer: unlike Sarasate’s extroverted virtuoso showpiece, behind Schubert's unassuming title there is hidden a very expressive little violin concerto. Every note is exposed, every nuance counts, every fluctuation of intonation is immediately audible. Brown began her endeavour with verve. Occasional technical deficiencies were kept in the background as so much confidence was exhibited.

Romantic sounds were produced in the second part of the concert also: the Canadian composer Ernest MacMillan was certainly a composer of the 20th Century according to his dates, but his music does not seem far from the neighbourhood of Dvorak’s typical folkloric style. The juxtaposition of MacMillan’s Two Canadian Sketches with Dvorak’s Serenade E Major was not at all wrong. That Nurhan and his Sinfonia Toronto savoured the two works with audible and visible enjoyment.

There were two encores in addition for the Warburg audience before the Canadian ensemble resumed their travels. On the very next day the young musicians were to appear in Bensheim in southern Hesse.

Assured, Relaxed Phrasing
Sinfonia Toronto in the Friedenskirche
by Johannes Mundry

Kassel - Outside the wind was splashing cold rain against the church windows, but inside the purest sound beauty prevailed. A collaboration by the Kasseler Bank, the Canadian Embassy, Hessischer Rundfunk and the Peace Church (whose 100-year anniversary is being celebrated) had succeeded in presenting Sinfonia Toronto.

The string orchestra is also celebrating an anniversary: ten years ago, the Armenian-Canadian conductor Nurhan Arman founded the ensemble. Now the musicians are touring abroad for the first time. They are playing five concerts in Germany.

Since there is no longer a concert series in Kassel that features foreign orchestras, this concert received special attention. What was heard was truly rewarding, as quality of this calibre has not been heard here for a long time; the quality of the standing ensemble’s performance was impressively high. This was demonstrated in the three most famous works for string orchestra, the serenades by Elgar, Tchaikovsky and Dvorák ,and in "Two Canadian Sketches" by Ernest MacMillan, a 20^th century Canadian composer.

The unity of ensemble was so perfect that they could even have performed without a conductor. From the first note Arman brought all 13 musicians (eight violins, two violas, two celli, one contrabass) together in a smooth, homogeneous, comfortably-phrased sound which was ideally suited to the acoustics.

No musician hides in this group, relying upon the musician next to them, each instrumentalist here proved to be an excellent musician. The beguiling, transparent and lush string sound touched by a tinge of melancholy in the Elgar and Dvorak was brighter and more open in the Tchaikovsky. That the orchestra can also play in an extroverted style was evident most in the Janacek and Khatchaturian encores in response to the prolonged applause.

Bensheim Friends of the Arts: Sinfonia Toronto presented well-known and beloved Works of the 19th Century at the Parktheater

Bensheim. As part of its first tour of Germany, Sinfonia Toronto performed on the Friends of the Arts series in Bensheim. The Canadian chamber orchestra was founded ten years ago by its conductor Nurhan Arman.

He himself formerly worked as a violinist and concertmaster with several orchestras and therefore has extensive experience working with strings.This naturally has a positive effect on the orchestra, even when there may be a change in its membership. It is striking that females at present almost completely dominate as the largest proportion of the musicians.

The Bensheim program included almost exclusively popular and beloved works of the 19^th century and so was very well suited as a transition into the festive season.

The Suite for String Orchestra played at the beginning is an early work of Leos Janácek. Janacek ranks with Friedrich Smetana and Antonin Dvorak among the important composers of Bohemia and Moravia. His music is closely connected to his homeland, enriched by it folksong traditions.

This is clearly noticeable in the Suite for String Orchestra, with its wealth of appealing melodies. This rendition captured soundscapes throughout that marked the different characters of the six movements.

Playing with tone-colours
Here Janacek deliberately plays with tone-colours. In the first Adagio he entirely does entirely without the foundation of cello and bass, and lets the higher strings softly spin out their melodies. In contrast, in the later Adagio the velvety dark sonority of the lower instruments is featured. The orchestra succeeded well in creating these contrasts of mood and showing off the folk-derived character of the fast movements.

The concertmaster Mary-Elizabeth Brown now had an opportunity to introduce herself as soloist. This took place first in Franz Schubert’s Rondo in A major for violin and string orchestra D 438. Apart from the suspenseful introduction, this is a cheerful work which reflects the characteristics of a rondo.

The soloist played her part with charm and sensitivity, with a lovely and supple tone. She was firmly and flexibly accompanied by the orchestra.

Her energy-packed performance of Pablo de Sarasate‘s Zigeunerweisen, an extremely virtuosic violin composition, worked in a totally different way. Here at the outset she was able to exploit the G-string intensely. She played the frequently interspersed runs with elegant ease and played the muted Lento with restraint, to sparkle ultimately in the racing speed of the virtuoso conclusion.

The second half of the concert began with "Two Canadian Sketches" for chamber orchestra by Ernest MacMillan, a Canadian composer. He also feels a connection with the folkmusic of his homeland. Two motives inspired him and are adopted directly in the musical sketches.

Peter Tchaikovsky's Serenade in C Major op 48 for string orchestra is certainly one of the most popular and effective pieces of this genre. Its sonority and intensity draws the listener inexorably under its spell.

In the outer movements here the orchestra at last had the opportunity in addition to display its full volume, which up to this point had mostly favoured delicacy. In the Waltz it impressed with the supple tone which had been pleasantly apparent many times throughout the program. Overall this compelllng interpretation formed a final high point of this evening.

There was much well-deserved applause for Nurhan Arman and his Sinfonia Toronto. The musicians expressed their thanks with a Waltz by Aram Khatchaturian and the first movement of the Serenade by Edward Elgar.

Sinfonia Toronto as Canadian musical ambassador in St. Gallus Church

Virtuoso Violin-playing while Standing - Gallus-Konzart with Sinfonia Toronto

Flörsheim - Among the great merits of the Flörsheim Gallus Concerts is the fact that the organizers are always venturing into new territory and invite ensembles here that are unknown in our region. This is a big gamble, especially when an orchestra with national stature in its own country has had little European visibility.

So it is that Nurhan Arman stood on the podium in St. Gallus with Sinfonia Toronto, which he founded in 1998. He has taught at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. The guests arrived from afar as musical ambassadors of Canada, and the event was sponsored among others by the Canadian Embassy in Berlin and the German-Canadian Society.

All this so far does not say much about the actual quality. But the first notes of the 13 string players immediately made us listen attentively. It seemed strange from a first charming glance to hear late-Romantic sound from an ensemble that plays while standing up, yet the surprising approach was convincingly justified by the results. And in any case, the Suite written in 1877 for string orchestra by Leos Janacek does at times imitate the Baroque period, so one can find an initial rationale for external reasons.

Lightly and intensely, the orchestra played with great consistency. Silvery soft passages whirled through the church, the musicians thoroughly delighted in sweet sections. The characters of individual phrases were vividly conveyed - such as the sparkling Presto, a lyrical Adagio or the demanding and dramatic intensely interpreted final Andante.

For Franz Schubert's A-Major Rondo for Violin and String Orchestra Mary-Elizabeth Brown left her position as Concertmaster and with spirit took on the role of soloist. With ample feeling for its lyrical architecture she authentically conveyed the chain of finely-spun ideas. Particularly noteworthy is her ability to unfold the bittersweet magic of the folkmusic-like melody of the Allegro giusto. Some minor impurity of intonation could not tarnish the impression of an extremely delightful performance.

It was appropriate that a Canadian composition should appear on the program: before the orchestra concluded its concert in Flörsheim with a vivid interpretation of the Serenade in E major op 22 by Antonin Dvorak, it presented "Two Canadian Sketches" by Ernest MacMillan. The composer became Director of the Toronto Conservatory of Music in 1926, later Dean of the Faculty of Music of the local university and Director of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He was knighted for these achievements, and received numerous other awards. His "sketches" finished in 1927 carried the Flörsheim audience into a thoroughly interesting sound-world. The first sketch was of a simple musical language in a uniquely hesitant rhythm, the second was essentially playful and witty.

Florsheim (mk) - Founded ten years ago and considered one of the best Canadian chamber orchestras, last Sunday Sinfonia Toronto ended its first German tour in Florsheim’s Gallus church after having played in Fulda, Kassel, Warburg and Bensheim. The thirteen musicians and their founding leader Nurhan Arman were a highlight of the 2008-2009 season of Galluskonzert in the capacity-filled church.

The program consisted of exclusively romantic and post-romantic works of bright nature and thus set a counterpoint against the darker November mood. Both in the Suite for String Orchestra by Leos Janacek and in the Serenade for strings by Antonin Dvorak - there was ample momentum and passion, they were played with perfect string sonority and technique and were led forward by a spirited conductor.

But even solo qualities were offered: the concertmaster Mary-Elizabeth Brown showed in the Rondo in A Major for Violin and String Orchestra by Franz Schubert that she is in perfect command of her instrument.

And a Canadian composer would not be absent: Two Canadian Sketches for chamber orchestra by Ernest Macmillan revealed themselves seamlessly in their traditional style with the others works on the program. In both sketches the artful and virtuoso playing of Sinfonia Toronto was evident again.

Of course after such sublime, melodious and lyrical sounds, the enthusiastic applause of the audience urged playing of encores. The ensemble under its leader played music by Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian: known by the famous Sabre Dance they played the Waltz from the Masquerade Suite. As a second encore there was the famous Waltz from Serenade for Strings in C Major by Tchaikovsky.

All in all a brilliant start to the new season of Gallus Concerts, with the appetite increased for other cultural events of this kind.