Not so triste

The inaugural Chancellor’s Concert with the orchestra of Sydney Conservatorium on Friday evening. (Huge: 16 first violins, 16 2^nd, eight violas,eight cellos, eight double basses, if you please!). Excellent performance of the Brahms fourth, which almost brought the house down, and a very nice excursion into Mozart with the piano concerto (No 20 in D min.) with Steven Lubin as soloist. I must say I sighed a sigh of relief when the big concert grand was wheeled on  I’d feared a forte-piano, since Lubin is a notable exponent of that dreadful instrument – the only advantage of which is that it’s made of wood and can therefore be easily smashed up. Concert opened with the ingratiating Sibelius Valse Triste. Clearly the conductor and chair of conducting, Eduardo Diazmuñoz, has got the whole orchestra well and truly moving. I always love listening to student orchestras anyway, and this is certainly a great one.