The Perth Symphony Orchestra’s latest project was a full-length ode to the music and legacy of Mozart, performed in a candlelit St George’s Cathedral, and appropriately titled Mozart by Candlelight. Programming the Mozart-inspired works of living composers between the masterworks of Mozart himself, PSO sought to demonstrate that the spirit of Mozart is alive and well today.

Jessica Gethin conducting the Perth Symphony Orchestra. Photo courtesy of Perth Symphony Orchestra

Setting the tone for the evening with Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, the front desks of the PSO string section captured the instantly recognisable spirit and style of Mozart from the first chord. The force of the sound – and thus, some of the dynamic contrasts – was initially swallowed up by the sheer size of St George’s Cathedral. But as the middle and lower voices of the ensemble came into their own by the fourth movement (or perhaps our ears had acclimatised to the sound environment), the subtle changes in tone colour and mood became more apparent, and the space of the cathedral was no longer an issue. An ambitious update to such a well-known piece was to have each movement broken...