Jacques Loussier Trio at the Auckland Town Hall

We jumped at the opportunity to hear this jazz legend live, as it was his ‘farewell tour’. For those who don’t know, Loussier takes classical music from the likes of Bach, Vivaldi and Ravel, and gives them a jazz arrangement.

The concert was divine. There were amazing solos from his double bass player and drummer. You never knew what might pop up next – from a few lines of La Cucaracha on the piano during ‘Spring’, to a run from Rhapsody in Blue on the bass during the Bach encore. Loussier had such a light touch, but there was enormous power from the band at times as they deftly took on pieces written for huge orchestras.

Loussier is also quite a character. It was amazing how much personality he was able to portray, just by introducing the pieces. The whole thing was magic – you must see them if you get the chance.

NZSO at the Town Hall, Auckland

I was lucky enough to win free tickets to this concert on Saturday (thanks TVNZ!) It was fantastic. I was a little bit wary about the first piece, as it was obviously modern. I’m not a fan of much written after the 19th century. The contemporary item is usually at the beginning of programmes, and most often I sit through it, waiting for the items to follow before I begin enjoying myself. This piece however, John Adams’ “Short Ride in a Fast Machine”, was amazing. From the first beats of percussion to the frenzied finale, this was action-packed and scintillating. As we broke into applause I had an involuntary smile on my face.

Our conductor, Hannu Lintu, took enthusiasm to a whole new level.

Next, our violin soloist Cho-Liang Lin appeared, and Brahms’ sublime Violin Concerto was executed with grace and precision. The concerto progressed through many moods and showed the dynamic skill of Mr Lin, and the orchestra. The theatre of the concert then took place, with Mr Lin making about 5 trips on and off the stage before finally raising his bow (which had lost a good deal of its hair during his performance) for an encore. It was “Gavotte”, a dance by Bach, and very pleasant indeed.

After the intermission, we were treated to Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony, which was also superb. With Mr Lintu literally jumping up and down towards the end, the orchestra responded magnificently. At its conclusion applause burst out, and Mr Lintu exited the stage promptly - presumably to get some oxygen. He appeared again several times, but alas the orchestra was not roused for an encore. Still, a fantastic night had by all, judging from the comments from fellow patrons.

For an official review from the Herald, click here. Also an article on Lin here.