A superb German and Hispanic Fiesta

The concert on 5 April 2014 was a superb feast of German and Hispanic concert classics. Making their MPO and DFP debuts in this concert were conductor Alondra de la Parra and violinist Josef Spacek. In the first half, we enjoyed one of Beethoven's best overtures - the Leonora Overture No 3. This was generally well-played but some awry balancing made the flute and horn solos a little backward in the mix. In the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto Op 64, Spacek gave us a traditionally steady interpretation in terms of tempi. The first movement was generally steady in terms of speed. However, more could have been made of Mendelssohn's varied tempo markings here. The second movement flowed graciously whilst the third movement lacked a bit of sparkle at a slower pace. We still enjoyed a very good performance from Spacek nevertheless. He will improve with time and would have something more individual to say about the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in future. The audience loved his performance and he duly obliged them with an encore - the last movement of Prokofiev's Solo Sonata Op 115, which was a welcome change from Solo Bach. In the second half, we were treated to a riotous Hispanic show of Ginastera Dances from Estancia, Falla's Suite No 2 from The 3 Cornered Hat and Marquez's Danzon No 2.