Rapturous applause for QSO favourites

Queensland Symphony Orchestra  | QSO Favourites

June 24, 2023, QPAC Concert Hall

Queensland Symphony Orchestra presented a fun evening of orchestral favourites on Saturday night in the QPAC concert hall. It was a diverse program, with music ranging from opera, ballet, film and classical favourites. 

QSO was conducted by Umberto Clerici, who provided fun introductions to each of the pieces to set the scene. The program also featured guitar soloist Karin Schaupp. 

The concert began with a suite from Bizet’s opera, Carmen. Set in Spain, this opera includes gypsy folk music, flamenco dancers, and even bullfights. The music was full of love, passion and jealousy, evoking the drama of the story. 

Continuing with the Spanish theme, we then heard Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, featuring Karin on guitar. Rodrigo has said this piece depicts the ‘fragrance of magnolias, the singing of birds, and the gushing of fountains.’ Karin’s delicate sound created a rippling melody, and the strings gave a sparse, song-like accompaniment. Karin’s performance received rapturous applause.   

As a special encore, Karin performed a duet with Umberto. He borrowed a cello from the orchestra, and together, they played Piazzolla’s Café 1930. This romantic tango evoked images of a cosy night in a Spanish café. 

We then moved to film music, with the main theme and love theme from Cinema Paradiso by Morricone. This coming-of-age story is set in a small town movie theatre, following the friendship of a young boy and the director, and his journey growing up and falling in love. 

Then we heard my personal favourite: the music from Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet suite. It started with a tense atmosphere, suggesting the rivalry between the warring families. Then, there was the swelling love music, before it built to the fight scene and the tragic ending. 

To finish, QSO performed Nimrod from Elgar’s Enigma Variations. This piece started softly, built to a swelling strings melody, then faded gently. It gave the audience a reflective moment before we burst into applause.