NZSO Elegance

Andrée Andante Recitative
WA Mozart Piano Concerto No. 27
Brahms Serenade No. 1

Isata Kanneh-Mason, the eldest sibling in a dynasty of extraordinary musicians, is being lauded as a pianist who is “the real deal” (classical-scene.com). What a treat to hear her bring such intelligent elegance to Mozart’s last piano concerto. Praised by BBC Music Magazine as capable of making “lines sing beautifully and virtuosic passages dance, finding intimacy and eloquence at telling moments”, Kanneh-Mason is the perfect performer to bring this mature, serenely lovely concerto to Aotearoa New Zealand audiences.

To round out this programme, the NZSO performs two works that deserve a wider audience. Brahms’ Serenade harks back to Mozart’s own delightful serenades, while Elfrida Andrée’s Andante Recitative, written in 1878, was only rediscovered in the 1980s, and “open[s] in broody darkness, but quickly blossom[s] into optimistic, songful melody” (Michael Clive).