Come and enjoy la dolce vita with Giordano Bellincampi! ‘Blue sky in A major’ was how Mendelssohn described his sun-drenched symphony, an affectionate sketch of a country he knew well.
Berlioz, likewise, drew upon ‘poetic memories formed from my wanderings in the Abruzzi’. His piece is a unique hybrid of symphony and viola concerto. The orchestra’s own Robert Ashworth represents Byron’s wandering hero, Childe Harold, ‘a kind of melancholy dreamer’.
Schubert is the odd one out here: he never visited Italy, although you’d never know it from his cheerful homage to Italian music.
Location
Te wāhi
Local tip
He tīwhiri mō te rohe
Arrive early and explore the surrounding Aotea Arts Quarter. Aotea Square, The Civic, Aotea Centre and Q Theatre are all within a few minutes’ walk, with plenty of nearby dining options before or after a show.
Getting there
Te huarahi ki reira
Auckland Town Hall sits on Queen Street opposite Aotea Square. Te Waihorotiu Station is around a 2-minute walk away, while Waitematā Station and the ferry terminal are around a 17–20 minute walk down Queen Street. Frequent bus services stop nearby, and The Civic Car Park provides convenient parking close to the venue. For more transport information, check out our Getting Around page.
More info
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