Jenna Smith and WASO Deliver Masterful Performance at Winthrop Hall
In a spectacular evening of classical music, trumpeter Jenna Smith received a rousing hometown welcome as she performed Haydn's iconic Trumpet Concerto with the WA Symphony Orchestra (WASO) under conductor Riccardo Minasi at Winthrop Hall this weekend. The concert, which also featured Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream overture and Beethoven's groundbreaking Eroica Symphony, was hailed as a triumph for all involved.
Haydn's Trumpet Concerto: A Showcase of Virtuosity
Smith opened the program with bold, fiery blasts in Haydn's Trumpet Concerto, immediately captivating the audience with her crisp and plangent phrasing. Her confident melodic lines and precise trills seamlessly intertwined with the orchestra, creating a dynamic call-and-response effect. A powerful cadenza from Smith highlighted the Allegro first movement, demonstrating both polish and technical prowess.
The Andante second movement featured lilting strings and a melancholic trumpet theme, with Smith expertly balancing pensive reflection and purposeful dialogue. Her ability to soar in the upper register while maintaining grace in the lower range added depth to the performance. The Allegro finale was a joyous expression, with Smith's broad timbre and modern technique bringing this 230-year-old masterpiece to life. The concerto concluded with a soulful encore of Amazing Grace, leaving the audience in awe.
Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream: A Light and Agile Prelude
The evening began with Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream overture and excerpts, setting a whimsical tone with bright woodwind and horn sections. Minasi's decisive direction honed WASO's razor-sharp edge, blending fanfaric trumpets by Orson Paine and Peter Miller with wistful melodies in strings and woodwind. The Nocturne, led by horns from David Evans and Julia Brooke under warm red lighting, offered a mellow harmony, while the Scherzo dawned bright and agile, showcasing Minasi's skill in balancing tempo and dynamics.
Beethoven's Eroica Symphony: A Groundbreaking Finale
After the interval, WASO launched into Beethoven's Eroica Symphony with twin towering chords that set a portentous tone. Minasi's energetic conducting filled the hall with vim and vigour, as the orchestra explored the expansive palette of this revolutionary work. The German trumpets added dramatic effect, while sublime horn and flute passages glittered throughout.
The solemn second movement, a funeral march, echoed the grandeur of its era with earthy and ethereal shifts between minor and major modes. Minasi masterfully utilized WASO's full dynamic range, from whirlwind intensity to whispered moments, creating operatic drama. The Scherzo third movement revived the verve of the opening, with horns intoning majestic figures and driving the ensemble through energetic gymnastics. The Finale, skittish yet focused, built to a heroic conclusion with cascading climaxes, highlighted by an out-there oboe intervention from Liz Chee.
WASO will return to Winthrop Hall in May with Wagner's The Flying Dutchman, promising another unforgettable musical experience for Perth audiences.
