Review: Johann Strauss Gala, York Barbican (From York Press)

Review: Johann Strauss Gala, York Barbican

7:58am Tuesday 17th January 2012 in Music news and reviews

“I HOPE you all get home safely tonight,” said the Johann Strauss Orchestra conductor, David Juritz, in response to the night’s winter chill.

His voice echoed across the Barbican, stirring imaginings of the empty, isolated and frosty streets that awaited outside in the January blues, only for those thoughts to be overtaken by a musical masterclass that was both enthralling and educational.

Last Friday’s Johann Strauss Gala focused on the magic of the Viennese Ball in a celebration of the most popular music and song and dance of the Strauss family, with the orchestra being conducted from the violin by Juritz, who has worked previously with the Mozart Festival Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic.

The Waltz King set the mood and there were fine individual performances all round, including by soprano Amy Freston, whose outstanding contribution was Il Bacio. The violin solo by Juritz that followed this gave out particular emotional resonance.

Such favourites as The Radetsky March, Chatterbox Polka, Voices Of Spring and The Blue Danube were performed too.

Arguably the highlight of the night was the dancing.

Led by dance captain Julianne Rice-Oxley, the dancers produced outstanding spins and conveyed character traits to give a human face to the gala that the audience could identify with.

Overall, this was a performance of nostalgic delight, travelling back to a time when society appeared to be more respectful and polite in nature.

- Daniel Birch