Much of Tchaikovsky’s music is very well known but in last week’s concert in the Durban City Hall, the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra presented two of his works that are not quite rarities but are probably unfamiliar to most concertgoers.

Manfred, composed by the Russian master in 1885, is something of a musical curiosity, a kind of combination of symphony and symphonic poem. It is written in the formal four movements of a symphony but the structure is anything but formal. Tchaikovsky based the work on Byron’s poem of the same name, a typically romantic extravagance about a weary and tormented soul, a lost love, idyllic visions, bacchanalian revelry and, ultimately, redemption and death.

For this scenario Tchaikovsky wrote a very long “symphony”, running for almost an hour, that is as wild and passionate as Byron himself. The composition is uneven but its best moments are glorious, and the KZNPO, consisting of about 75 players for this occasion, produced a really big sound with some overpowering effects, particularly in the first and last movements.

The visiting conductor En Shao maintained a comprehensive grip on this lengthy work, which he conducted without a score, a considerable feat of memory. On the podium he displayed enormous vigour and commitment, and the orchestra responded splendidly. This was a memorable performance, and the audience, obviously impressed, showed their appreciation with prolonged applause.The other Tchaikovsky work on the programme was Mozartiana, a suite of four pieces based very closely on compositions by Mozart. These were taken at a brisk pace and with Mozartian precision, especially in the brilliant finale, an orchestral version of Mozart’s Variations, K 455, written originally for the piano.

En Shao will not be back in Durban for another two years. We will miss him. - Michael Green