This was an unusual, but ultimately rewarding, program that juxtaposed a Beethoven overture, a darkly introspective song cycle on the subject of Death, and the less often performed of Beethoven’s two Masses.

Beethoven’s ‘Leonore‘ Overture No. 3 is one of four attempts by the composer to introduce his only opera, Fidelio. He ended up using the shorter ‘Fidelio Overture’ because ‘Leonore No. 3’ gives away the dramatic dénouement to the plot in incorporating the offstage trumpet call, here brilliantly done to great effect by TSO Principal Trumpet Fletcher Cox. The overture is actually a miniature tone poem as a stand-alone concert piece, played by the TSO and conductor Otto Tausk with huge dynamic contrasts, energy, and tightness of ensemble.

TSO Principal Trumpet Fletcher Cox. Photo supplied

Mussorgsky’s Songs and Dances of Death is a dark song cycle exploring aspects of dying and was originally composed for voice and piano in the 1870s. Shostakovich’s imaginative scoring in 1962 added depth and textural variety to the four songs, delivered by the TSO on this occasion with great finesse. Mezzo Katharine Tier’s rich voice gave powerfully varied expressive colouring and feeling to the poetic texts by Arseny Golenishchev-Kutuzov.

Beethoven’s Mass in C major, Op. 86 is still rarely performed in favour of the more famous Mass in D (Missa Solemnis). It is a vibrant, accomplished work from 1807 modelled largely on Haydn’s Masses, featuring music of dramatic variety that also incorporates imaginative orchestral touches.

This performance was of very high quality. Orchestral detail was superbly etched throughout, but it was the cohesive conception of conductor Tausk, allied to superbly disciplined and clear toned singing by the TSO Chorus, that created such a satisfying result.

The four vocal soloists also provided fine toned and characterful work, with especially beautiful singing from soprano Helena Dix. The chorus excelled at moments such as the fugal section ‘Et vitam venturi saeculi’ near the end of the Credo.