On the 9th of March 2015 at the Federation Concert Hall in Hobart, the Tasmanian Symphony

Orchestras first concert of the season The Song of the Earth made its debut at 7:30pm.
Alongside them were members of the Australian National Academy of Music, Michelle DeYoung as
the Mezzo Soprano and Simon ONeill as the Tenor participated and performed with the TSO. The
program included works of James Ledger (The Madness and Death of King Ludwig), Richard
Wagner (Siegfrieds Rhine Journey and Ride of the Valkyries) and Gustav Mahler (The Song of the
Earth). The whole performance was conducted by Marko Letonja.
Most of the pieces performed were interesting and showcased a variety of players and their skills.
Particularly the soloists, the principal French horn in Siegfrieds Rhine Journey. Leaving the stage
during the performance, it was hard to notice until she returned after performing a solo in the
background. During this solo, the tone quality was effortless and fluid. With pressure on her to
execute a seamless transition from foreground to background and back, she left without any hassle
and played her solo without accelerating the pace.
In the second passage of The Song of the Earth, there was a minor slip in the flute part but the
recovery time was quick and seamless and let the mistake pass without any agitation.
Despite the contrasting works, the first piece felt weak. The main dynamic was strong and wellretained through the tune but when the tune dimmed to piano or mezzo-piano the sound was quite
timid. The percussion section performed untidily during the second half, the beat quickly becoming
erratic and out of place as well as drowning out the brass section. Particularly the timpani seemed
out of place and overpowering.
During The Song of The Earth, there were a number of inconsistencies. The orchestra had been
too loud for the tenor to sing and Simon ONeill sounded like he hadnt warmed up properly during
the first song and his annunciation was blurry and incomprehensible. A few minutes later, the tenor
sang a lot clearer as he warmed up. In the second piece, the Mezzo-Sopranos voice was sharp in
comparison to the backing the orchestra provided. After the second song, the alto could be heard
above the orchestra and the lyrics were much clearer. The flutes in the final song at the beginning
sounded lost and unable to pick up their part until a new phrase began where they picked up their
tune. In the end, the orchestra again overpowered the vocalist, this time the Mezzo-Soprano.
Two instruments in the orchestra were barely heard above the rest of the instruments, the triangle
and the mandolin. The triangle could have been louder as it was barely heard during the ending of
Ride of the Valkyries. The mandolin was not noticeable at all until it was spotted visually in the
orchestra. Having more than one would have improved the projection.
The venue for the concert was sufficient and the performance wouldnt have sounded better
anywhere else in Tasmania. The orchestra is surrounded by a wooden wall that causes the sound
to rebound through the rest of the concert hall. The lighting seemed to brighten as the dynamics
increased in volume.
Although the overall performance was good, there was room for improvement. Especially the
vocalists, as they didnt sound like they had practiced with the orchestra. More rehearsal time and
warming up prior to the concert would have prepared the vocalists.