Stefan Dohr with SSO – it was breathtaking! Literally

Sydney Symphony Orchestra | Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7

Friday 18 August, 2023, Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House

OLA RUDNER conductor
STEFAN DOHR horn

KODÁLY – Dances of Galanta
R STRAUSS – Horn Concerto No.2
DVOŘÁK – Symphony No.7

A little personal preamble before writing about this concert;

In October 2012 I spent a week with the composer Georges Lentz in Berlin. Before arriving in Europe Georges had organised tickets to see the Berlin Philharmonic under Bernard Haitink in a concert that included Beethoven Eroica. I was entranced then at the magic that Stefan Dohr wove in that symphony and 11 years on it still lives in my memory. So, an opportunity to hear Dohr live in a benchmark horn concerto at the Sydney Opera House with our SSO was definitely one I did not want to miss.

And it was breathtaking! Literally. From the heroic opening Dohr made the music so much greater than the sum total of the notes on the page. His monumental tone, straight from the space between the most picturesque mountains of central Europe, enveloped the audience and made everyone instantaneous fans of horn music – that is if they were not already. His deep understanding of not only the solo part but all the relationships in the orchestral score saw his approach to the music bring to life all the magic in this introspective and virtuosic late score of Richard Strauss. Dohr moved from heroic mode to sweet and lyrical or playful with consummate ease whilst always making small tonal alterations that made the music sing.

A super sweet moment was when the amazing guest principal horn of the SSO, Lin Jiang had just played a most lyrical imitation of the soloist’s line and Dohr smiled and quietly turned to Jiang and obviously sent him a collegiate facial message.

I think in 11 years, if I still am a member of planet earth, I will fondly remember this concert for being able to be immersed in the honeyed tone of Stefan Dohr.

The concert opened with a work meant to be a crowd pleaser, Kodály’s Dances of Galanta, and this ebullient representation of Hungarian musical culture surely was that. Ample opportunity for playing with lots of expression abounds and none more than that for clarinettist Frank Celata. He led all the wind principals from the front and here as in Dvořák’s Symphony No.7 the string section, particularly the violins and the basses were scintillating. In the symphony Ola Rudner bounced and weaved and put on a great display for the audience, who lapped it up, and all the while communicated a deep knowledge and love of this richly indulgent and mostly happy music.  Again wind principals Celata, Katie Zagorski (flute), Diana Doherty (oboe), Matthew Wilkie (bassoon) and the entire brass and percussion sections were simply delightful and they all obviously relished the beautiful lines composed by Dvořák.

It was pleasing to see a reasonable number of school-aged audience members at this concert and maybe they too will remember this special concert with pleasure and for a long time.

ZOLTÁN KODÁLY (1882–1967)

Dances of Galánta (Galántai táncok) (1933)

1. Lento –
2. Allegretto moderato –

iii. Allegro con moto, grazioso –

1. Allegro –
2. Allegro vivace –

RICHARD STRAUSS (1864–1949)

Horn Concerto No.2 (1943)

1. Allegro –
2. Andante con moto

iii. Allegro molto

INTERVAL

ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK (1841–1904)

Symphony No.7 (1885)

1. Allegro maestoso
2. Poco adagio

iii. Scherzo

1. Finale