February 28, 2025
Emerson Hall, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts
Atlanta, Georgia – USA
Polish Chamber Orchestra of Sinfonia Varsovia; Daniel Hope, violin.
Christoph Willibald GLUCK: “Dance of the Furies” from Orfeo ed Euridice, Wq. 30
Joseph HAYDN: Violin Concerto No. 4 in G major (Hob. VIIa/4)
Wojciech KILAR: Orawa
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART: Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, K. 216
Joseph HAYDN: Symphony No. 49 in F minor, Hob. I/49 (“La Passione”)
Mark Gresham | 3 MAR 2025
First impressions can be lasting, and for the Polish Chamber Orchestra, the impact of its opening statement in Emerson Hall on Friday night was nothing short of electrifying—one that will be well-remembered.
The ensemble, led by violinist Daniel Hope, launched into Christoph Willibald Gluck’s “Dance of the Furies” from Orfeo ed Euridice with razor-sharp precision and unrelenting energy, immediately setting a high bar for the evening. The jagged rhythms and fiery orchestral interjections were delivered with striking intensity, capturing the urgency and drama of Gluck’s operatic vision. It was a bold and riveting start that showcased the ensemble’s tight cohesion and technical prowess.
This performance at the Schwartz Center for Performing Arts in Atlanta was the third stop in the orchestra’s first U.S. tour since 2006, a significant return for an ensemble with a distinguished legacy.
The Polish Chamber Orchestra has a storied history. It was founded in 1972 by musicians from the Warsaw Chamber Opera and led by conductor Jerzy Maksymiuk, gaining international acclaim. In 1984, the orchestra expanded into Sinfonia Varsovia under the leadership of Yehudi Menuhin.
Polish Chamber Orchestra led by violinist Daniel Hope, performs at Emerson Hall, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, February 28, 2025. (credit: Bill Head)
Reestablished as a distinct ensemble under Sinfonia Varsovia in 2002, the Polish Chamber Orchestra has collaborated with soloists, including Nigel Kennedy, Maxim Vengerov, and Daniel Hope. The orchestra has a long-lasting artistic relationship with Hope, a protégé of Menuhin, with whom it has most recently toured internationally. His artistic collaboration with the ensemble has been widely acclaimed, and Friday’s concert provided ample evidence of their shared musical sensibility.
Following their thunderous opener, Hope took center stage as soloist for Joseph Haydn’s Violin Concerto No. 4 in G major. A refined and assured soloist, Hope easily navigated the concerto’s lyrical lines and virtuosic passages, maintaining a buoyant dialogue with the orchestra. An effervescent playfulness marked the first movement, while the “Adagio” showcased elegant phrasing and controlled dynamics. Hope handled the lively tempo of the final movement with effortless agility, and the orchestra’s accompaniment was finely balanced, never overshadowing the soloist.
Violinist Daniel Hope solos in concert with Polish Chamber Orchestra, Emerson Hall, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts, February 28, 2025. (credit: Bill Head)
Stepping outside of the program’s classical-era elegance to close the program’s first half, Wojciech Kilar’s Orawa brought a contemporary visceral energy to the program. The 1986 post-minimalist work was inspired by the Tatra Mountains and highland folk music of Poland, built on a hypnotic rhythmic drive and increasingly urgent string textures. The Polish Chamber Orchestra imbued the work with an organic intensity, gradually building toward its frenzied conclusion. The musicians displayed a masterful control of pacing, allowing the piece’s energy to crest in waves before culminating in an exhilarating conclusion.
After intermission, Hope was again soloist, this time in Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major, a work well-suited to his warm tone and agile technique. His approach balanced precision with spontaneity, lending a conversational quality to the musical phrasing. The first movement sparkled with elegance. The “Adagio” was the emotional centerpiece, performed with exquisite lyricism, while the Rondeau finale was delightfully dance-like. Hope maintained a dynamic interplay with the orchestra throughout, emphasizing the music’s charm and wit.
Haydn’s Symphony No. 49 in F minor (“La Passione”), closed the program. Composed during the composer’s “Sturm und Drang” period, in what was by then an archaic Sonata da chiesa structure, the symphony is one of his most emotionally charged works. The opening “Adagio” was delivered with brooding intensity, its dark harmonies unfolding with a sense of weight and inevitability. The orchestra’s expressive range was particularly notable in the “Allegro di molto” second movement, in which the orchestra masterfully harnessed the music’s tempestuous energy. The Menuet, which revisited the motif from the preceding “Allegro,” carried an air of subdued unease, but the Trio offered a brief radiant interlude, momentarily lifting the work’s darker mood. The ensemble shaped the finale’s dramatic contrasts well, giving it an almost operatic urgency.
The Polish Chamber Orchestra displayed their versatility throughout the evening, with excellent chemistry evident between them and Hope. We witnessed an impressive display of musicianship in this stop on their long-awaited American tour. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Daniel Hope: danielhope.com
- Polish Chamber Orchestra: sinfoniavarsovia.org/en/sinfonia-varsovia/chamber-ensembles/polish-chamber-orchestra
- Schwartz Center for Performing Arts: schwartz.emory.edu
Read more by Mark Gresham.
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