IMPRESSIVE CONCERT EXPERIENCE IN LINZ (by Christa Grubauer, in: OÖ Volksblatt, 31th October 2020)

The fact that art and culture are possible even in challenging times was proved by the well-working network around the artistic activities and organizers of the Sinfonia Christkoenig orchestra under its untiring conductor Eduard Matscheko. Last Sunday, the strategically placed seats in the church pews allowed a continuation of this concert series with a changed programme. As always, the enlarged chamber orchestra consisted of musicians from the Bruckner Orchestra, of teachers from the privately-run Bruckner University and music students, who rose to the challenge of performing an ambitious programme with ardour, zest and competence. After all, it was Beethoven’s „Fifth“ that was on the programme. At the beginning the Turkish-born soprano Dilay Girgin performed the motet „Exsultate jubilate“. She managed the brilliantly performed colorature passages as beautifully as the atmospheric „Et in carnatus est“ from Mozart’s mass in e-minor, KV 27. The „Music for string orchestra“, op. 39, presented an interesting insight in the work of the Upper Austrian composer Helmut Rogl (born in 1960). Beethoven’s 5th Symphony („Schicksalssymphonie“), one of his most popular works, followed, with which conductor Matscheko challenged his musicians, full of verve and enthusiasm. Timpani, trumpets and horns presented their prowess, before in the second movement the soft sounds of the woodwind section and the strings almost changed into an idyll and the contrabasses were stretched to the limit. It would not be Beethoven if there were no big contrasts and surprising effects. In this respect the Sinfonia Christkoenig under its conductor Eduard Matscheko succeeded effectively and achieved a powerful final effect. Therefore there was big and long applause with standing ovations.