Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Sydney Opera House

Friday 9 May 2025

Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday)

Daniel Lozakovich is definitely a name to watch, as the star of this 24 year old Swedish violinist is sure to rise as he embarks on his solo career. His exotic good looks that stem from his Kyrgyzstan mother and Belarusian father belie an endearing humility, but his virtuosic talent is impossible to hide. 

From the opening cadenza of the Sibelius Violin Concerto, we knew we were in for an electrifying ride. The power and certainty of his low register in the opening bars of the work were a prophetic sign of what was to come. The depth and sincerity of his emotional range unsurpassed, taking us from the violent scarifying self-loathing of the opening movement, to the sublime introspection of the Adagio di molto, we were left breathless in admiration of this remarkable young man. The way he controlled his vibrato was a song in itself, with the rich variety and subtle variations of speed and depth. Every time he played a melody in octaves, it was articulated ever so subtly differently. His dynamics and interaction with the orchestra unparalleled as he went from strident dominating soloist to meek gentle accompaniment in a matter of bars. Here was a young genius at work whose innate feeling of the workings of an orchestra and the music he was producing would put many more seasoned musicians to shame. The connections he had with conductor Tomáš Netopil and Concertmaster Andrew Haveron were palpable to the audience, and together they created a magical experience that produced one of those rare concert moments and we were privileged to witness it.

The 3rd movement went perilously close to coming off the rails, but of course that was never going to happen, and isn’t that what builds the excitement of a world class live performance? Many in the audience would have heard this concerto hundreds of times and were familiar with every note and nuance, but to Lozakovich, it was like the first time for him. He was so eager and passionate to bring all the subtleties to life, it was like a young man who has just discovered his first taste of love and wants to shout it to the world as if they have never heard of such a wondrous thing.

And the audience was in raptures. His shy acknowledgment of their adoration of his performance was at odds with his musical stature, as he seemed unsure where to look and tried unsuccessfully to attribute the applause to anyone but himself. In the end he was left with no choice and gave us, as an encore, a superb performance of the Adagio from J.S Bach’s Sonata No. 1 in G minor for solo violin. Other violinists in the orchestra looked on lovingly and in awe. Finally, with a sheepish glance at the standing cheering crowd, he left the stage.

Oh yes that’s right, there were two other works in the program, opening with the Symphonic Suite from Jenufa. Manfred Honk (concept) and Tomáš Ille (orchestrator) were so enamoured by Janáček’s opera they decided to create a suite from the best bits. Inevitably reducing a three act opera to 21 minute suite is going to be no more than a pastiche of dramatic moments and lively Moravian folk tunes. Czech conductor Netopil was definitely the right person to bring these moments to life, but the seems in the fabric of the Suite were always a bit threadbare.

Yet it was the final work, Dvořák’s Symphony No. 6, where Nepotil’s expertise in Czech music came to the fore. Composed at the stodgy end of the late Romantic era (think Brahms), Dvořák breathes fresh life into the form with crisp alpine melodies that soar in the strings, and evocative wind tunes reminiscent of a folk group at a village celebration, punctuated occasionally by bold, stirring brass statements. Nepotil used his skills and experience to bring this imagery to life before our very ears, particularly in the Scherzo where the accented rhythms (alternating duple and triple) evoked the young men of the village getting a bit boisterous in the dance.

The three works in the program were composed in a space of 25 years in the same part of the continent. We heard a slice of Central Europe at the turn of the 19th century brought brilliantly to life by maestro Tomáš Netopil. Bravo!