It's so easy to spoil Mozart's music - a few sloppy notes and the sparkle disappears. But porcelain perfection isn't enough. Only a balance of guts and polish reveals Mozart's true voice, and Michael Collins and the Sinfonietta found just that.
Under Collins' baton, the Marriage of Figaro Overture, which kicked off the concert, was flawless, and the piece continued on frothy and fun, warm and unaffected. Pointed accents, crisp woodwind details and graceful turns of phrase brought the music to life. Collins was the soloist on basset clarinet as well as conductor on Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in A.
The word "basset", whether it refers to a dog or a musical instrument, means "rather low", and it was a treat to hear its reedy, growly low range. Collins' tone was sweet and effortless in Mozart's charming melodies.