The Thurgau Youth Orchestra (JOTG) put everything on the Salzburg prodigy’s card at this year’s concert cycle. With the overture from “Don Giovanni”, the clarinet concerto in A major, with soloist Michael Reid and the “Haffner Symphony”, the young musicians – under the direction of Gabriel Estarellas Pascual – delighted their audience in the Charterhouse of Ittingen, the Tonhalle St. Gallen and the Reformed Church Amriswil. thurgaukultur.ch was there at the last concert.
Oh. In recent years, JOTG fans have almost been conditioned to experience a huge sound body on the podium at concerts, with the corresponding sound rush. Mozart’s magic is more delicate. With this in mind, conductor Estarellas had a well-sorted selection of his young musicians perform. It was worth it – and was still loud enough in the acoustics of the Amriswil church. As often before, the low strings impressed with such force that the Andante with its famous dramatic fourth fall sounded like film music shaking like a window. The interested listener was tempted to ask herself whether the Commendatore or Darth Vader would then appear with “Don Giovanni, a cenar teco!” during the very accurately played Molto Allegro. This should be read as a compliment. Just beautiful would be boring.
LINK: THURGAUKULTUR