Music / Echoes of Humanity, National Capital Orchestra, conducted by Louis Sharpe, piano soloist Lucas Krupinski. At Llewellyn Hall, September 12. Reviewed by LEN POWER.

Joining forces with the St Vincent de Paul Society, Canberra/Goulburn, the National Capital Orchestra presented a charity concert to help support people in our region experiencing hardship.

Echoes of Humanity described perfectly the emotive and famous works presented. That they were also a formidable challenge to perform created quite a sense of anticipation before the concert began.

Conducted by Louis Sharpe, the program began with the much-loved Piano Concerto No. 2 by Sergei Rachmaninov.

The piano was played by Lucas Krupinski. This Polish pianist, now living in Britain, made his Carnegie Hall debut in 2018 and has appeared with major orchestras across Asia, Europe and North America. He has also won many competitions. He performed at the Canberra International Music Festival in 2022.

Krupinski’s playing was notable for its sensitivity, bringing out the richness in the melodies while stirring heightened emotions.

The orchestra, guided by Sharpe, played confidently and with great clarity. Together, Krupinski and the orchestra gave this work an excellent performance, showing why this work’s fame has endured since its first full performance in 1901. It was thrilling to have the opportunity to experience it live.

After interval, Sharpe and the orchestra returned to play another possibly even more formidable work – Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 (Titan). Premiered in 1889, this deeply personal work is also highly emotional. It required a large orchestra to play, and Sharpe advised the audience that the orchestra on stage was the largest ever for the company.

From its quiet beginning, the orchestra showed great control. Through the various melodies and dramatic passages, they brought out all the shifting emotions of the work with enormous clarity and strength. There was particularly fine work by the French horns and the bassoons, and every part of the orchestra gave Mahler’s work a rousing performance of which they should all feel proud.

This was an exhilarating concert of two highly challenging works. Sharpe, the orchestra and Krupinski made this an event to remember.

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