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Mikhail Ovrutsky (violin), Pietari Inkinen (conductor)

New Zealand Symphony Orchestra

Visions of Happiness

Visions of Happiness Photo: NZSO

In tonight’s concert from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the rich splendour of the brass section calls out the ‘Fate theme’ insistently in the opening bars of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4.

Dedicated to his patron Nadezhda von Meck, Tchaikovsky plumbed the depths of his soul in this work, searching for some understanding of the fate that propelled him forward.

His glorious melodies find their equal in Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll. Composed in celebration of his wife Cosima’s birthday, the work was first performed on the staircase to her room, waking her with music full of domestic happiness and profound love.

At the centre of this concert is Erich Korngold’s lush Violin Concerto. Performed by the outstanding violinist Mikhail Ovrutsky, his glowing and rich tones perfectly suit Korngold’s wonderfully expressive concerto, creating myriad visions of dazzling happiness. (Source: NZSO)

Recorded live in Wellington’s Michael Fowler Centre by RNZ Concert