Concert, Sunday 11th March 2001

Pianist provokes ecstasy:

A young Russian pianist provided moments of exquisite pleasure which fully deserved the rapturous reception she received. Each time NSO takes to the stage one wonders how they can surpass their last concert. But each offers new musical insights and last night 27-year-old Elizaveta Kopelman was the star. The Moscow-born pianist has clearly struck up a great rapport with the NSO in her previous three appearances with them, and the bond was cemented in another outstanding display of consummate musicianship.

Rachmaninov's Paganini Rhapsody - especially variation 18- sent the audience into ecstasy as the pianist's hands danced across the keyboard exploiting all the nuances of this enchanting work which she recently performed at the Barbican.

That was only part of the treat for Elizaveta learned, especially for the Lynn concert, Litolff's Scherzo. To describe it as "pretty" is not to dismiss it as lightweight - but it is used often as an encore and appropriately ended the pianist's memorable performance. The programme opened with the delightful rhapsody, In A Summer Garden, by Delius. The romantic mood continued in Brahms' Third Symphony in which the orchestra demonstrated its cohesiveness in the capable hands of conductor James Stobart.

Alison Croose, "Eastern Daily Press", Monday 12/03/01

Can they really be amateurs?

EACH time I hear the Norfolk Symphony Orchestra, the more difficult I find it to accept that here we have a virtually amateur orchestra, such is the quality of their playing. No more was this evident than in their recent concert at Lynn Corn Exchange, when conductor James Stobart drew from them exemplary playing throughout, with a rich, full-bodied tone from the string section. The concert opened with a delightful piece by Delius, In a Summer Garden. This sadly neglected work is a sheer delight.

For the Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini, Elizaveta Kopelman was welcomed back as soloist displaying, yet again, her great interpretive ability and formidable technique. Henry Litolff is today remembered almost entirely for the movement of one work, The Scherzo from his fourth Symphonic Concerto. Elizaveta Kopelman gave a spirited performance of this sparkling piece, to the great delight of the capacity audience.

The second half consisted of Brahms' Symphony No 3. Its rich sonorities, textures and the melodic invention of the work were all brought out by James Stobart and his forces to great and appreciative response.

David Johnson, "Lynn News", Tuesday 20/03/01.

Concert, Sunday 13th May 2001

Ascent to the dizzy heights of Mahler:

The orchestra has reached many memorable heights - but none more challenging than their ascent to the summit of Mahler's fifth symphony. What an achievement it was, and at the end of the 75-minute epic the packed audience's warm and lengthy ovation was testimony to the success of the venture. The monumental work put huge demands on the orchestra both technically and musically, stretching instruments and players to the limits. But, under the very capable direction of conductor James Stobart, the orchestra of nearly 100 musicians played with great verve and intensity.

All this drama should not be allowed to eclipse another special treat which formed the first half of the programme when Bulgarian Lora Dimitrova was the latest in an impressive line-up of soloists to appear with the NSO. She shone in a performance of Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto displaying great virtuosity in handling its intricate demands.

Alison Croose, "Eastern Daily Press", Monday 14/05/01.

Outstanding:

Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto, which opened Sunday's concert by the Norfolk Symphony Orchestra, under conductor James Stobart, is not heard as frequently as his Numbers Four and Five - but in terms of thematic ideas and melodic invention, it is equal to both. Following the orchestral introduction stating the opening theme, the entrance of the solo piano displayed that the soloist, Lora Dimitrova, is yet another of the outstanding younger artists who the orchestra has brought to entrance the ears of local audiences. Her virtuosity and musical intelligence were a joy, particularly in the dialogue between orchestra and piano. The slow movement showed Beethoven at his most sublime (as stated in the programme notes), with the soloist at her most sensitive, before she progressed into the bright and bouncy third movement, with its dancing rondo in the minor key, and then moving to an exhilarating ending.

RIOT OF COLOUR

The second half of the concert consisted of Mahler's Symphony No 5. This monumental piece presented the orchestra with a challenge that they met head on. If they were apprehensive it certainly was not evident, such was the quality of the playing. Surely no other symphony has so much musical activity as this, every section being called upon to produce a riot of musical colour. The NSO responded to James Stobart's direction with commitment and style, as they coped with the formidable demands of the work. The fourth movement, Adagietto, is well known after being used in the film "Death in Venice". Here the strings displayed their quality to the full, while throughout the numerous orchestral soloists were outstanding.

Seventy-five minutes of this degree of stimulation left players and audience emotionally drained but, surely, deeply satisfied.

David Johnson, "Lynn News", Friday 18/05/01.

Concert, Sunday 8th July 2001

Foregoing their usual symphonic format, the NSO gave a Prom Concert for their summer presentation at King's Lynn Corn Exchange. From its opening bars whispered by lower strings, the first item - Stravinsky's Firebird Suite - was propelled by a sense of urgency through the sensuous rondo to the finale which reveals Stravinsky's Russian origin, as conductor James Stobart drew playing of a high order.

The soloist in James Galway's arrangement of Briccialdi's Carnival of Venice was a local flautist, 17-year-old Alex Jakeman. This young lady has excellent breath control and technical command of the instrument but perhaps has yet to reach the maturity to fully cope with this piece. She was well supported by James Stobart and the orchestra but I would like to hear her play this again in a few years' time.

The players returned for the second half dressed in varying degrees of foliage (representing the forest) in Paul Patterson's setting of Roald Dahl's re-telling of Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf. They were joined by the Fiona Marshall Singers. Storyteller Nick Mercer gave a hilarious account of events in the forest.

We arrived at traditional prom favourites Henry Wood's Sea Songs (the orchestra beating the hand-clapping audience in the hornpipe by a short head). Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance No 1 concluded the programme with the flag-waving audience joining in the "Land of Hope and Glory" section.

David Johnson, "Eastern Daily Press", Thursday 12/07/01.

Favourites delight NSO prommers:

A full strength Norfolk Symphony Orchestra meant business immediately at its Lynn Corn Exchange Prom Concert last Sunday afternoon. It began with Stravinsky's fairytale ballet suite The Firebird, written for the Russian Ballet in the early 1900s. It is one of the most popular pieces of the orchestral repertoire and a seminal Russian folk masterpiece in a 20th century setting with echoes of Rimsky, Tchaikovsky, Borodin and Mussorgsky. Given an excellently fearless reading by James Stobart and the very large NSO, it caught the magical fairytale atmosphere brilliantly. A sinister brooding introduction, then a most glittering and shimmering Dance of the Firebird displayed the enormous panache of the strings, harp and woodwind. The gentle seductive contrast for the princesses was serene while the demonically grotesque Infernal Dance was most vigorously propelled through its tight rhythmic invention and chromatic tritones. Then the somnolent Lullaby leading into the Finale gave the bassoon and horn a chance to emote most charmingly as the whole suite gradually quickened and built up into the majestic concluding tableau.

Alex Jakeman followed with her flute as the soloist in the Carnival of Venice, the traditional Theme and Variations format, allowing the flute to display its florid ability and some of its more challenging bag of tricks, which were very confidently executed to great acclaim from the prommers. It might be that Galway should revise his too rich orchestration.

Little Red Riding Hood, performed in the presence of the composer, is Paul Patterson's traditional but retreated (aah!) fairy story for narrator and orchestra. A first was registered by the NSO incorporating four of Patterson's Red Riding Hood songs, sung by the alluring captivating (but rather too distant) Fiona Marshall Singers. It is a whiff eclectic - but so is Firebird - with very cleverly worked Hoffnungesque wit and direct quotations of content (doorbell/Beethoven) and style à la Tom and Jerry, and Gerald McBoing-Boing and Steven Sondheim's Broadway. It gave Nick Mercer a brilliant opportunity for his part - costumed characterisations and dramatic timing, which he took with both tonsils and a cocked leg, and was a delightful pictorially descriptive re-telling of an old favourite with inventive use of modern orchestral techniques and compositional structures which the young audience and orchestra enjoyed enormously.

The concert ended with Proms favourites British Sea Songs and Pomp and Circumstance with audience involved. Fiona Marshall ruled very OK as Britannia. The Liberty Bell was clapped out [!].

Neville Mackinder, "Lynn News", Friday 13/07/01.

Concert, Sunday 18th November 2001

Orchestra conjures up surprises and treats:

Life is at its richest when it produces pleasant surprises - and the Norfolk Symphony Orchestra keeps conjuring up just such treats. Not only did it introduce the burgeoning talent of 23-year-old Korean-born violinist Min-Jin Kym, but it also introduced many concert-goers to a lesser-known modern composer. And then, of course, there was the symphony, which is what the orchestra is all about.

Whatever it tackles, conductor James Stobart ensures the players produce a quality performance. The rich melodies of Brahms' Symphony Number 2 enabled the musicians to give full rein to their skills. The result did due justice to the splendid work. Min-Jin Kym was "discovered" when she became the youngest scholar at the Purcell School and embarked on what is proving to be a dazzling career. Her virtuosity shone in the solo passages of Beethoven's Violin Concerto as Stobart guided the orchestra through the intricacies and pastoral characteristics of this great work. It was preceded by the music of a much more modern and lesser-known composer, Hindemith. His Symphonic Metamorphoses provided the happy surprise which opened the programme. Originally intended as ballet music it proved too elaborate for that purpose. Fortunately, it has not been lost and the brass section trumpeted a wake-up call to capture the interest and delight the NSO's large and appreciative band of supporters.

Alison Croose, "Eastern Daily Press", Monday 19/11/01.