Can there be a more unfavourable date for a concert in the Friedenskirche in Linz than last Sunday: lots of parking cars of Urfahr fair visitors around the church, the Brucknerfest not yet finished – but o wonder: a church filled to the brim with an audience waiting for the Sinfonia Christkönig orchestra under its founder and conductor Eduard Matscheko. Among its members: wellknown faces from the Bruckner Orchester, well versed instrumentalists from the teaching profession united to a beautiful sounding ensemble.
The programme was cleverly chosen as it does not happen so often that two virtuosos are found to play Brahms’ Double Concerto. However, under the patronage of the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra which also supplied the two soloists , this Double Concerto turned out to be a great experience. The expressive themes are beautifully distributed between the two solos and alternate with the strings and winds in a symphonic manner. The second part of the concert presented Beethoven’s symphony Nr 4 in B-flat Major, op 60, one of his most charming creations, full of youthful imagination. Matscheko conducted the orchestra with abandon and managed to transfer the musicians’ happiness also to the audience. Long applause. (Christa Grubauer)