Tuscan Summer at Napier Municipal Theatre

Rossini’s Overture to The Barber of Seville is the epitome of Italian music – it is sunny and giggly, and then roars with energy. Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto is also wonderfully warm with dancing themes that won’t settle. In the hands of Stefan Jackiw – described by the Washington Post as a ‘talent that’s off the scale’ – this lyrical score will sweep you off your feet. Britten’s Soirées Musicales, an orchestral arrangement of piano pieces by Rossini, are a confection of different flavours and colours. Crowning this festival of Italian sumptuousness is Mendelssohn’s Symphony No.4 – the Italian. Composed to evoke ‘the supreme delight in life’ that characterises Italians, guest conductor Junichi Hirokami brings to this symphony an unbridled optimism that shimmers and shines with every phrase.