St David’s Hall
Cardiff
Fri 21 Oct
Cardiff Philharmonic orchestra presented a creative insight into the world of one of most loved story teller’s with their highly successful Concert of the Unexpected: A Celebration of Roald Dahl. The concert paid a tribute to both the colorful life and acclaimed work of the author to mark the 100 years since his birth in Llandaff.
The programme was well developed to cover all aspects of Dahl’s life, beginning with Sir William Turner Walten’s Spitfire Prelude and Fugue. The piece was a nod to Dahl’s time as a fighter pilot during the war. The piece was a nice opener, but it was the following medley that began to add excitement to the evening. The medley from one of Dahl’s most famous stories, Charlie and the Chocolate factory, composed by Danny Elfman, was a fitting tribute to the author’s work, with the orchestra capturing the drama, excitement and playfulness of the music.
The second half of the evening was a clever interplay between stories from Dahl’s life, and music. The idea was cleverly thought through, and well executed, from all involved. The music presented in the second half was composed by Bernard Kane, and titled Mr Dahl, it was a fitting tribute to the life of the author. The music was composed for specific extracts from books about Dahl’s life, read by Michael Sheen. Michael Sheen’s use of expression and animation made him the perfect storyteller for the evening, lifting the words of the extracts, whilst providing some comedic moments for the audience to enjoy.
There were four extracts that were focused on, ranging from Dahl’s mischievous childhood, to the seriousness of his time in the war. Musically, Kane took the audience on a journey using many creative compositional techniques to reflect the mood if the extracts, almost retelling the stories in a musical form. A particular favourite was the extract about the Great Mouse Plot, with the music reflecting the light heartedness and comedy of the anecdote.
While the scores played in the evening were well chosen and superbly written and arranged, it was the orchestra, conducted by Michael Bell, that really made the evening a true success. The Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra not only did the compositions justice, but also brought them to life. The technical control shown by the orchestra was exquisite, ensuring the music was well expressed, telling the full stories of the compositions.
The Cardiff Philharmonic Orchestra will be next performing at St David’s Hall on 9th December, with the ever popular ‘Night at the Movies.’
words ELIZABETH SZYMCZAK