Reflections

Today, Thursday 9 October, is the Orchestra's final day in Italy. We are in the beautiful city of Verona where tonight the Orchestra will perform at the Teatro Filarmonica.

Two days ago, the Orchestra performed in Modena at the Teatro Comunale Luciano Pavarotti. During the tour, the Orchestra has played in some of Italy's most distinguished concert halls and this hall was no exception (pictured).

Before writing about tonight's final performance in Verona, we have a special guest writer, harpist Genevieve Lang, who here gives her reflections on the Sydney Symphony's 2008 Italy Tour:

Bueno sera! On the Sydney Symphony’s penultimate day of touring from the window of my hotel room, the muted colours of Verona are captured by the sunset on another perfect day in Italy and give pause for reflection on what has been a truly magnificent journey. It’s hard to believe that almost two weeks have passed since we arrived, let alone seven concerts in seven cities, 2,400 kilometres of travel through Italian countryside, countless gelati and many, many unforgettable sights, sounds and experiences.

Venues, concerts and destinations can blur in the memory when moving from place to place so quickly. For soloist Rose Plummer, the concert in Torino (Turin) was a real stand-out: ‘I was sitting in the audience beforehand listening to the orchestra rehearse [Ravel’s] La Valse, and I knew that it would be a good concert. The balance in the hall was excellent and there was room on stage to feel comfortable in performance.’

The stage layout also revealed the theatricality of Liza Lim’s The Compass – percussionists drawing fishing line through the strings of the piano, creating an eerie, almost pitchless sound; woomeras arching through the air; and the sound of a hundred cicadas in crescendo.

For Rose, another highlight was performing, as an encore, Rossini’s La Scala di Seta (The Silken Ladder) in Milan. ‘The famous La Scala theatre was just down the road, so that direct sense of contact with Rossini was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And the audience responded really positively to the Lim. This piece has sparked a genuine curiosity here. At the reception after the concert [in Milan], lots of people were coming up to me with questions about what they’d seen and heard on stage.’

Hearing Beethoven’s 7th Symphony in the breath-takingly beautiful Chiesa di S’Agostino in Siena was also unforgettable. The acoustics of this church were such that every instrument and section could be heard clearly, and the sound of the orchestra as a whole rang forth effortlessly and radiantly.

Touring is always a tremendous challenge for all involved. For the musicians, soloists and conductor, it’s a question of stamina, maintaining physical health, and ensuring sufficient reserves of energy to give inspired performances. Our most heartfelt thanks go to all of the accompanying Sydney Symphony staff, physio Bronwen Ackerman, and doctor Paul Duff for managing, massaging and medicating any and all issues that arose. Their combined efforts have contributed immeasurably to an unforgettable experience of la dolce vita in bella Italia. Grazie!