The concert of the Symphony Orchestra of the Municipality of Athens, which took place at the Olympia Theater on Saturday, May 21, was included in the New Talents cycle. Musical direction was taken over by Michalis Oikonomou, and the soloist of the Violin Concerto by Jean Sibelius was Christoforos Petridis.

The change in the musical theme also entailed a change in the program. Thus, in the first part of Agreement no. 36 by Mozart, also called the “Lindz Symphony”, since the work was written in just four days, during the short stay of the composer and his wife in the Austrian city. Given the rather problematic relationship of most Greek ensembles with Mozart, the impressively good performance of the piece was a particularly pleasant surprise, and it is to Oikonom’s credit for getting what was required from the orchestra. First of all, there was a sense of style, an element that is directly related to the way musical phrases are formed and their emphasis.

The talented Christophoros Petridis performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto.

We heard a performance that many call “historically informed”, where ensembles with modern instruments perform what modern musicology has taught us, guided by musical texts, written sources, as well as historical instruments and interpretive practice. the time when the works were written. So, in general, the speeds were fast, but not rushed, to ensure the articulation of the musical material and the control of the dramaturgy of the music. The second movement also had an element of elegance, but also an equally important danceable lightness, to which its rhythm belongs, in a “Sicilian” style. The third movement was precise, while the fourth movement was dominated by sharp dynamic contrasts and pleasantly tuned strings.

In the afternoon, the talented 18-year-old Christoforos Petridis faced off against the demanding Sibelius Violin Concerto. His game, with many virtues, seemed to be determined mainly by youthful enthusiasm. He should probably be credited with an often excessive vibrato, which gave the work a passion that did not quite correspond to the elegiac character of especially beautiful music. The frantic speed that Petridis chose in the final virtuoso part is probably due to the same enthusiasm that hindered both him and the orchestra. When it is not a work written primarily for virtuoso display and therefore not aimed at impressing the audience, the speed helps to be such that it allows the performer to meaningfully frame the musical text, and the listener to perceive this meaning. As for the orchestra, it is noted that the acoustics of a particular hall did not help either. So, in the first and especially in the second part, rather expressive moments are preserved, revealing a violinist with a subtle sensitivity and very good technical training.