★★★★☆ Incoming ASO Principal Conductor handles Mahler’s Fourth with diligence and drive.

Adelaide Town Hall
August 7, 2015

The appointment of 29-year-old Nicholas Carter to the chair of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra is a cause for celebration; in part because the powers that be have seen fit to appoint such a young man to the post, and an Australian into the bargain. Make no mistake, this in no whim on the part of the Adelaide musical establishment; those of us who have been watching Carter’s progress over recent years are delighted and not surprised that he has risen so quickly in the musical world.

Following early work in Australia, being mentored by the likes of Richard Gill, he quickly became one of the brighter talents to migrate to the Hamburg opera under the watchful eye of Simone Young. He is now Kapellmeister at the Deutsche Oper in Berlin.

In his first concert with the ASO following his appointment, he gave us the prelude to Parsifal, the Schumann Cello Concerto and Mahler’s Fourth Symphony.

It was the Symphony that made the greatest impact as Carter handled the piece with diligence and drive, releasing a tremendous tumult at the climax to the third movement that pinned our ears back. It was very exciting. In the quieter moments of the score he drew some notably delicate playing from the orchestra. Jacqueline Porter was the soprano and I found her creamy tone ideal for the comfortable and domestic music of the last movement.

The Schuman Cello Concerto is not one of the composer’s better works, but cellist Li-Wei Qin played it as if it were, with great exuberance which drew rapturous applause. The conductor supported him perfectly; the two musicians clearly had excellent rapport.

Less impressive was the prelude to Parsifal. Here the orchestra seemed to have difficulty in settling down and there were some rough passages in both wind and brass. No doubt these solecisms will be overcome as the new conductor works his skills and magic over the next few years.

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