The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s Eternal is the perfect event to celebrate Valentine’s Day, offering equal parts romance and inspiration
Presented by: Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
Reviewed: 15th February, 2025
The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) opens its 2025 Symphonic season with Eternal, attracting a full crowd two nights in a row. The performance features two world renown guests, conductor Tito Muñoz and pianist Pavel Kolesnikov. Muñoz describes the program as one of his favourites across his entire career. A mixture of legendary pieces beloved by popular culture and musicians alike, together with modern pieces bringing a thunderous kick.
The ASO has commissioned a symphonic acknowledgment of country, by Kaurna and Narungga musicians Jack Buckskin and Jamie Goldsmith. This beautiful piece utilises the entire orchestra, evoking a sense of nature, place, and belonging. There is a short video available on the ASO website for those interested in discovering how this work came to life.
London-born composer Anna Clyne wrote This Midnight Hour in response to poetry from Jiménez and Baudelaire. At the beginning, discordant winds cut into the sweeping melody carried by the strings, as though the orchestra is at odds with itself. Before the piece concludes, the instruments reconcile and play in artful harmony.
Pavel Kolesnikov joins the orchestra on stage for the next piece, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major. Its iconic lyrical melody starts with the piano before passing to the orchestra. Kolesnikov’s rendition of Beethoven’s beloved piece is masterful, emotive, and inspiring. It is clearly not just the audience enjoying his performance, because the orchestra members are seen smiling at and swaying to the piano during their brief rests.
After interval, the orchestra performs the overture from Tchaikovsky’s ballet Romeo and Juliet. Fateful meetings, young lovers, sword fighting, and heartbreak are beautifully conveyed through the well loved melodies. The audience listens with rapt appreciation.
The final piece in the program is Respighi’s Pines of Rome. From harp to pipe organ, Respighi enlists every instrument in the orchestra (including several additional guest horns) to create a theatrical, booming tour of the Italian capital. The first movement elicits a modern, bustling metropolis, with children running as they play a chaotic game. Grandiose melodies follow, evoking monuments and scenes from the ancient world.
As Muñoz mentioned, Eternal is the perfect event to honour Valentine’s Day, offering equal parts romance and inspiration. However, the audience was not limited to lovers – from symphony subscribers to novices, friends and family of all ages, everyone adores the performance.
Reviewed by Nicola Woolford
Photo credit: Samuel Graves @samuelgravesphotography
Venue: Adelaide Town Hall
Season: ended
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