I can find nothing to complain about. I enjoyed the razor sharp notes of the singers and the orchestra. The passion, the pathos...in short,.a.good time was had by all
I initially opted to attend this concert as a chance to hear Beethoven Symphony No. 5 closer up after unfortunately getting tickets too far back in Koerner Hall for Tafelmusik's (a period ensemble a bit more than a third of the size of a full orchestra) performance of Symphony No. 4 and No. 5, then realized that it would be a string orchestra of 13 musicians (the principal double bassist was on leave), yet another third of the size. Otherwise, commentary mainly regards the concert program and the importance of good seating. As a high-end headphone listener who does substantial EQ, I prefer a fuller, richer, reasonably loud and immersive listening experience, the third row of the orchestra level doing well in this regard, though the center of the fifth row might be ideal. Even at this listening distance, the dynamic range of such a small ensemble is inherently limited, but the details and richness of the instruments' timbres is still quite appreciable. The double bass, though, was unfortunately hard to hear from my vantage point or without a second one to reinforce that sound. The concertmaster's violin on the left form my perspective further to the right projected clearly with an excellent tone. The hall reverb from this vantage point was also pleasant. The first two pieces unfortunately did not best showcase the rich harmonies this ensemble could produce. It was the third piece, the Canadian premier of Taktakishvili Violin Concerto No. 2 that was _absolutely wonderful_. When the soloist's bow hit the first note on the E string of their Andrea Guarneri violin a few meters to my front left, I was surprised by a most wondrously sweet, clear, full, excellently projected, and expressive tone of immediate emotional impact, my having never been thus affected by a violin's tone or heard such in these listening conditions. The piece and performance was wondrously rich and expressive, truly blissful with fantastic melodic and harmonic content, the Sinfonia Toronto presenting a rich accompaniment with excellent balance keeping the soloist's beautiful sound clear. In the second movement, I could not help but smile and chuckle amid the desire and failure to cry while stricken by this marvelous human phenomenon of the encountering of beauty emerging through a gossamer veil in the frothing chaos of the universe. I was particularly pleased to hear harmonies reminding me of my recent experience hearing the latter part of the first movement of Gershwin's Piano Concerto up close at Roy Thomson Hall amid that rich harmonic swell. The third movement was likewise exquisite, and the Zigeunerweisen expertly executed. Finally, this rendition of Symphony No. 5 proved surprisingly enjoyable, with interesting imaging (interplay) between the instruments on the stage and orchestration letting you forget about the instruments from a full orchestra that you are missing out on. Simply fantastic.
We LOVE the concert, it was an amazing experience for my family! Perfect conductor and musicians! Thank you so much! Defenetly will come again.
We enjoyed the choice of music and stories behind it (well presented by the conductor), the young and famous pianist from Austria and the whole orchestra. We find it being a good value as well for the venue location and the seats offered.
It was a beautiful performance by a group of very talented musicians. I loved the storytelling in between the concert setting the context and inspiration behind the music.
A great evening of high quality musical selections and performances. Two stars the violonist and the singer - do not miss them ever if they perform in your neighborhood. I went all the way from Montreal to attend this performance. I recommend all of the Sinfonia Toronto performances. The one I attended seems to be a one time event but it could be repeated if the schedule of Siinfonia permits it.
I really enjoyed the show! Some parts even took my breath away!
