Hugh Fraser
The Hamilton Spectator

Hamilton is now officially Straussed out rather than stressed out.

We're loose, happy and prepared for all 2002 can do to us as The Strauss Symphony of Canada -- an enlarged Hamilton Philharmonic by any other name -- wished us Happy New Year with what has now be
come an annual event. It's the Salute To Vienna, a concert inspired by the New Year's Day concert by the Vienna Philharmonic in the famed Musikverein that airs on TV to literally billions of people the world over.
These imitations now take place live and simultaneously in 30 cities across North America and are a charming way to spend New Year's Day and a very successful one for the concert promoters, since Hamilton Place was packed to the rafters of the second balcony.

One of the reasons for this year's edition of the show being a sellout was soprano Donna Ellen's appearance.

She toured Europe with the Canadian Orpheus Male Choir -- who sat in serried ranks in the second balcony -- when starting a career that took her to Vienna and world fame.

She is in the prime of her vocal powers and simply delighted the crowd with a sumptuous performance that included a Voices of Spring Waltz that sparkled with perfectly executed coloratura and shining high notes.

But it is her ability to convey deeply felt emotion, even in the midst of all the wit and humour of the creamiest and most frothy of Viennese arias, such as The Merry Widow's Lippen Schweigen and a wonderful My Hero from The Chocolate Soldier, that touched the heart with such ease and simple grace.

Her partner, the dashing tenor Alexander Kaimbacher, seemed just a little under-powered at times -- I would never ask a reinforced HPO to play really quietly, but a mezzo forte would be nice -- yet he was charming and convincing in staggering off to Maxim's and joining Donna Ellen in duet.

The essence of the whole concert was served up by maestro Ernst Dunshirn who came from the Vienna Staatsoper to bend and mould our orchestra's musical line and to make it dance and sway in that inimitable Viennese way.

He and they did remarkably well and served up bouquets of Strauss waltzes and polkas for the gowned and tuxedoed Ballet Jörgen dancers, who, with simplicity and economy of choreographic detail, brought a Viennese ballroom and its little stories and dramas to our city.