Rock Violinist Returns For Colourful Concerts

7 August 02

Rock Violinist Returns For Colourful Concerts With The NZSO

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra presents concerts featuring virtuoso American Violinist Rachel Barton who wowed New Zealand audiences in 2000. Since her NZ debut she has performed her variations on the New Zealand National Anthem as an encore all over America.

The first concert, as part of the Great Classics series, has musical colour from Latin America, Rachel Barton with Beethoven's great violin concerto plus Bartok's magnificent showpiece, Concerto for Orchestra. This concert will be performed in Wellington, Hawke's Bay, Hamilton and Auckland, conducted by Roberto Minzuk who will make his New Zealand debut.

NZ composer David Farquhar's Evocation is followed by the powerful rhythms and melodic styles of the folk music of north-eastern Brazil in Villa Lobos' work Bachianas Brasileiras - Preludio. Beethoven's Violin Concerto is accepted as one of his most gracious and masterful works, and has become one of the most important works in the violin repertoire.

Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra is an accepted masterpiece of twentieth-century orchestral repertoire. It is a mixture of moods, vigorous rhythms, grandeur and a touch of folk dance.

Rachel Barton is widely recognised as one of the most gifted virtuosi of her generation. She has appeared as soloist with many prestigious ensembles, and was an instant success with New Zealand audiences in 2000. In 1992, she became the youngest and only American ever to win the prestigious JS Bach International Violin Competition.

The second concert, as part of the Great Orchestra series, has melodies from Central Europe and the most tuneful and best known of Schumann's symphonies. The concert is introduced by Smetana's picturesque Vltava 'The Moldau', depicting the course of the river Vltava as seen by the composer, who was the founder of Czech national music. Rachel Barton will perform the lively Prokofiev Violin Concerto No 2.

Schumann's buoyant and lively Third Symphony reflects the composer's impressions of the Rhineland, which inspired generations of German composers, most notably Richard Wagner.

Young Brazilian conductor, Roberto Minczuk, catapulted onto the American conducting scene, following rave reviews with the New York Philharmonic in 1998. Currently Co-Artistic Director of the Sao Paulo Symphony, Maestro Minczuk continues to build an impressive career with engagements throughout America.

PROGRAMME
NEW ZEALAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Great Classics
Musical colour from Latin America, the return of Rachel Barton with
Beethoven's great concerto plus Bartok's magnificent showpiece for
orchestra.

AUG 30 Friday, 6.30pm MICHAEL FOWLER CENTRE WELLINGTON**
SEPT 5 Thursday, 8pm FOUNDERS THEATRE HAMILTON**
SEPT 6 Friday, 6.30pm AUCKLAND TOWN HALL AUCKLAND**

Roberto Minczuk - conductor
Rachel Barton - violin
FARQUHAR: Evocation
VILLA LOBOS: Bachianas Brasileiras
No 4 - Preludio
BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto
BARTOK: Concerto for Orchestra

GREAT ORCHESTRA
Melodies from Central Europe, a brilliant soloist and the most tuneful and
best known of Schumann's symphonies. AUG 31 Saturday, 8pm MICHAEL FOWLER
CENTRE WELLINGTON** SEPT 4 Wednesday, 8pm MUNICIPAL THEATRE NAPIER**
SEPT 7 Saturday, 6.30pm AUCKLAND TOWN HALL AUCKLAND**

Roberto Minczuk - conductor
Rachel Barton - violin
SMETANA: Vltava 'The Moldau'
PROKOFIEV: Violin Concerto No 2
SCHUMANN: Symphony No 3
'Rhenish'

**Pre-concert talk
Speaker: Roger Wilson
Venue: Air NZ Lounge - Wellington
Green Room, Municipal Theatre - Napier
Speaker: James Gardner
Concert Chamber - Auckland

TICKETS
$70 - $20
Concessions available
Book at Ticketek outlets
A transaction fee may apply

© Scoop Media