Close Encounters… of the symphonic kind

Always wondered how to really listen to a symphony and get the most out of it? Well now you can find out.

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra is bringing you a close encounter of the symphonic kind. You may even discover that you knew the ‘tricks of the trade’ all along.

Our very own Peter Walls will guide you through the harmonic drama of the classical symphony and into the realms of Romanticism using musical signposts to navigate your way effortlessly through the bars.

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra’s live performances will illustrate Peter’s points at the flick of a baton.

Technical terminology is off limits and musical instinct is welcome.

“You might think that you don’t understand classical music but you do,” says Peter. “It’s a language we learned on our mothers’ knees with nursery rhymes. And those same harmonic progressions can be heard in a lot of pop music.”

Keep your ears open for some very familiar examples as they relate to some of the most beautifully crafted symphonies in the Classical and Romantic repertoires.

On Wednesday, at Close Encounters: The Classical Symphony, Peter will introduce and then, under his direction, the NZSO will perform Mozart’s Symphony No. 31 ‘Paris’ (first movement) and his Die Zauberflote Overture K 620;  plus, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C Major Op. 21 (first movement), and his Symphony No. 7 in A Major (second movement), which was used in the movie The King’s Speech.

These works flow effortlessly into Thursday evening’s The Romantic Era workshop which features Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 in B minor ‘Unfinished’ (first movement); and two pieces that foreshadow next year’s programme – Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll; and Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture Op 26.

“Mozart was not sitting down with a road map,” says Peter. “His sense of structure and development was instinctive but it all grows out of a language that we all understand, usually without realising it.”

Explore the symphony more with the NZSO in Close Encounters… of the symphonic kind.

Wellington / Town Hall / Wed 14 December and Thu 15 December / 6.30pm

Close Encounters is made possible with support from Wellington Community Trust.