Reinecke β Flute Concerto in D major op. Concert Performance. Saturday, December, 17th, This was one of these performances that might not have been note perfect but was absolutely winning and uplifting in its own way. Yet as the performance progressed it completely won me over. Their diction was also very clear. Juanjo Mena led a reading that was notable for its genial spirit.
Some of his tempi were very slow, especially in part 3, but on the whole it worked well and he marshalled the forces well. The violins in particular quite raw in tuning but the woodwinds had real personality.
Sadly I missed a little raspiness in the brass since they were using modern instruments but they played well enough. Mena used a harpsichord for the recitatives and the player made his presence felt in the ensembles, though I do wish he had used a fortepiano β this is just personal taste.
A chamber organ supplemented the textures where required. The solo singing was somewhat variable but there was one sensational performance. His German is very good and he sang with great spirit and personality. Berit Solset is a new name for me but one I recommend looking up.
The Norwegian soprano is something very special indeed. She is the ideal Haydn interpreter with a voice of crystalline effortlessness. Her beautiful, unblemished tone has a rare purity and tickles the ear most delightfully. The voice is absolutely even from top to bottom and she exudes total enjoyment in her music making. Solset is a lovely singer and one I hope to get to hear a lot more of. In these dark days we search for comfort and we most certainly had it tonight.
