Elegance, richness and agility combine in the voice of Joyce DiDonato, as these Mozart arias from La Clemenza di Tito so brilliantly show. The remarkably concise overture begins with a slow introduction whose solemn character recalls that of The Magic Flute. Bravery and courage inspire Parto, parto, while Non più di fiori, sung in the second act by the character Vitellia, spotlights the basset horn, a kind of alto clarinet with a particularly suave tone. The love between Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the OM and Bruckner burns as brightly as ever, to concertgoers’ great delight. The composer’s Symphony No. 4 “Romantic” enthralls with its skilled orchestration that gives the brass a starring role. By turns bucolic and lilting, courtly and explosive, it brings this delicious concert to a marvellous conclusion.
