WASO and Gomyo capture the energy and inventiveness of the great American composers.

Perth Concert Hall

April 5, 2014

In the second instalment of the ‘classics’ program for 2014, WASO paid tribute to the music of some of the great American composers, collecting the works of Copeland, Barber, Bernstein and Gershwin into a single program. WASO was conducted by Benjamin Northey who brought a terrific energy to the evening proceedings.

It seems a logical programmatic choice with perfect balance; you have the soaring brass melodies of Copland, the classical melodic texture of Barber, the theatrical musicality of Bernstein and the pastiche classicism of Gershwin. The two halves of the program differed thematically. The first half focused on more traditionally classical music from America, while the second half showcased two works that derived their influence from the popular and jazz music of the time.

WASO opened with Copland’s Appalachian Spring. The suite version, performed this evening, gives an impression of the key features of the original ballet while still functioning as a single work. The unique character of each section was carefully articulated, bringing to the forefront the disparity of the various characters and scenes. Copland’s work is distinctly, almost stereotypically, American, constructed...