Continuing a tradition running since 1959, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra brought wonder and lustre to the Sidney Myer Bowl in one of their legendary Free Concert performances.
Led by MSO Assistant Conductor Leonard Weiss, in a programme of works curated under the concert’s prompt title Journeys and Adventures, the MSO charmed its audience beneath the sun and the stars on a perfect summer’s evening.
As a first-time visit for this new Melbournian, my inaugural visit to the Bowl was affirmed in spectacular fashion, with a lively showcase of verve and emotional dexterity from the MSO.
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Opening with expansive, invitational works that promised exploration across vast landscapes – a standout being Weiss’s gentle, reflective interpretation of the Finale from Copland’s Appalachian Spring – the concert’s programme gracefully spanned and flexed amidst increasingly colourful, vigorous works.
Attended by a youthful, engaged crowd, many of the concert’s ‘hits’ – such as Strauss’s iconic Blue Danube waltz and Rossini’s William Tell Overture – saw many sat on the sloped decline of the Bowl bounding up onto their haunches, twisting their shoulders in-tempo to the dynamic thrust of the orchestra.
The momentum of the concert was expertly balanced by the frequent onstage appearance of ABC Classic presenter Mairi Nicolson, guiding the audience through the selection of works while also speaking with some of the featured artists.
A standout portion of the concert came in the conversation shared between Nicolson and Weiss, discussing the thematic concept behind the programme of pieces chosen by Weiss, as well as giving an opportunity to learn more about the young conductor himself.
Nicolson’s radiant, enthusiastic style of presentation engendered within the audience a jovial pulse of engagement, ensuring the entire show was a surefire crowd-pleaser.
This sustained level of high spirits was fully realised in the triumphant closing performance of Offenbach’s Can-Can, a brilliant interpretation under Weiss’s sprightly baton that had the entire Bowl clapping their hands in tune and quick stead.
As the opening performance of the 2025 Free Concerts season, last night proved nothing short of a roaring success for the summer.
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