I haven't been to the JPO for a number of months, mostly due to time constraints. There are a few Sunday concerts every season at the intimate ZK Matthews Hall at the UNISA campus in Pretoria, which are never full, so it was great for a last minute decision. South African Gerard Korsten was the conductor, with two JPO members, Phillip Coetzee and Vladamir Ivanov (clarinet and viola respectively) the soloists.
The first piece of the afternoon was Schubert's Overture to Rosamunde. The music, part of a series for a play (described in the program as a dismal failure), starts of in a dramatic style remnant of a thriller movie. Halfway through it changes to a more jolly and happy piece, a change which is rather abrupt and a lot less interesting.
Bruch's Concerto for the Viola, Clarinet and Orchestra was unique for a number of years (Google search shows a 2008 composition). The viola and clarinet sound very different, but the piece is very interesting. I particularly liked the 1st and 3rd movements, both of which had strong solo parts that linked to each other - the 2nd movement was rather dull in my opinion.
The highlight of the afternoon, was definitely Beethoven's 7th Symphony. The performance was magnificent, thoroughly deserving the standing applause at the end of the performance. It is a very enjoyable piece, and very apt for a Sunday afternoon.
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