Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
Rachmaninov Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Brahms Symphony No. 4
Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, July 29

This attractive program drew a full house and showed, as I observed a few weeks ago about the Sydney Symphony’s performance concert under Pinchas Steinberg, that a concert of well-known works can still be an exciting event if handled properly. The first-rate Danish conductor Thomas Dausgaard, making his second visit to Australia, has demonstrated he is able to draw a refined sound from this orchestra.

Apart from some poor execution of woodwind chords at the beginning of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet overture, the SSO responded superbly well to his direction. Horns were in fine form throughout, sounding very grand, and the brass was nicely balanced with the rest of the orchestra.  The strings, too, were richly textured and exciting.

Initially my reaction to Dausgaard’s reading of Brahms’s Fourth Symphony was muted. I had the impression that it was underpowered, but on reflection I don’t believe this was the case. Dausgaard is an aesthetic conductor; taking great care in shaping the music, delighting in tapering off phrases elegantly, making a virtue of the ebbs and flows...