Brief Reviews

Music at Emory presented a recital by Timothy Albrecht playing the Schwartz Center’s Daniel Jaeckel Opus 45 pipe organ with fifty-four stops and 3,605 pipes in a cherry-wood case. Albrecht is Emory’s University organist.  The program included works ranging from Bach to Keith Chapman.  The highlight was Bach’s Prelude and Fugue in E Minor.  This piece demonstrated the power of the organ in a warm acoustical environment.  Liszt’ Hexameron also was a showpiece, especially for the bells and birds of the organ.  Albrecht is talented and the program was satisfying.  Given the quality of the playing, I can forgive Albrecht’s red tie and matching red socks. 

“Music on the Hill” at Atlanta’s Northside Drive Baptist Church is a hidden gem.  The most recent concert included the Piano Trios of Beethoven, Turina and Schumann, play by Olga Shpitko, Violin; Sarah Kapps, Cello; and Peter Marshall, Piano.  The Beethoven was wonderful.  The second movement is dark and cloudy, giving rise to the Trio’s subtitle “Ghost.”  The surprise of the program was the Trio No. 2 in B Minor of Turina.  He is an unappreciated and underrepresented composer who lived until the middle of the last century.  His music is colorful and rather impressionistic.  The Trio bears a resemblance to Debussy’s music, but that comparison diminishes the inventiveness of Turina. The Schumann was also skillfully played.  The Trio No. I in D minor is a good example of the composer’s romanticism.  The chapel at the Northside Drive Baptist Church is perfect for chamber music.  The sound is strong, yet warm and reverberant. 

A Wonderful Celebration.....

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, under music director Robert Spano, presented its annual “A King Celebration Concert” to honor the work of Martin Luther King.  The program included:

Beethoven- Overture to Fidelio

Traditional:  “Elijah Rock”

Brahms: “How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place” from “A German Requiem”

Schwanterner: “New Morning for the World,” with Narrator Mayor Kasim Reed

Dvorak: Concerto in B minor for Cello and Orchestra

The Spellman College Glee Club and Morehouse College Glee Club were featured in the Elijah and Brahms.  Yo Yo Ma was the cello soloist. 

This concert was sold out and broadcast nationwide.  It was nothing less than spectacular. 

The “Elijah Rock” piece was a show case of the strength of the two Glee Clubs.  The agony, outrage, and triumph of the African American experience were portrayed powerfully in this piece.  The scream of sopranos was potent and heartfelt.  Special kudos goes to Dr. Kevin Johnson for preparing and conducting this piece.
 

The Brahms German Requiem is a magnificent piece, although some call it old fashioned, I find it spiritually moving and beautiful.  It focuses on the sadness of coming to grips with someone’s death and it attempts to provide comfort for those left behind.   It does not rely on Christian views of death and the afterlife, but rather Brahms’ own spiritual journey.   The performance use a Robert Shaw- developed English translation of Brahms’ lyrics.  I found this version to be a bit distracting; I like the mystery provided by hearing it sung in German.  The combined Glee Clubs sang without much subtlety, but what they lost in finesse, they made up in strength. 

I am not familiar with the work of Pulitzer Prize winning composer Joseph Schwantner.  His website describes him as …”one of the most prominent American composers today…” and I will take his word for it.  “New Morning” is an orchestral piece with interspersed spoken quotes from Dr. King.  The work began with a focus on the xylophone and marimba.  I was wary that this would be just one more not-so-memorable composition of modern composers that rely on these two instruments in combination with the tympani.  But, the piece was effective and immediately accessible.  It is not particularly melodic, but it uses the color of the orchestra to great and powerful effect.  Narrating Dr. King’s words was Atlanta’s Mayor Kasim Reed.  After each carefully timed (and  Spano-cued) quote, the score provided a musical reaction of sorts.  The only downside of the performance was the bugaboo of Symphony Hall’s acoustics and their inhospitality to the amplified voice.  The magnificent King words were difficult to understand, which blunted their effect.  Reed’s somewhat thing voice did not seem to enhance the solemnity of the presentation.  But “New Morning” is a great work of tribute to Dr. King.

The second half of the concert was dedicated to Dvorak and YoYo Ma.  It is difficult to describe the experience of seeing and hearing Mr. Ma perform.  There is no doubt that he is a master, a genius, and a gentleman.  I knew that I was hearing a performance that was electric and ecstatic.  Ma plays with such deeply felt emotion that his face becomes transformed with ecstasy. I was transfixed by watching and listening to him.  He has a proper mix of aggressiveness and lyricism, which is a difficult balance to maintain (one need only refer back to the performance of the Brahms’ Double concerto earlier in the ASO season to realize how a work suffers when a soloist does not achieve this balance).  Ma was gracious at the end of the work, in a style that only the most accomplished and assured can pull off.  He thanked Maestro Spano, and each of the members of the orchestra who contributed significantly to the performance.  He actually walked around the orchestra and individually shook the hands of key performers.  He gave special recognition to concertmaster David Coucheron, who played a wonderful duet with Ma during the final movement of the concerto.  At the end of the performance, the audience leapt to its collective feet and shouted cheers of thanks.  All 1700 patrons knew that they had just witnessed a performance by one of America’s great musicians.  It was thrilling.  Mr. Ma then took a seat at the rear of the orchestra’s cello section.  He joined in the orchestra in playing a magnificent version of “We Shall Overcome,” along with the two Glee Clubs.  This version of the protest song began with a plaintive solo by Ma which was eventually joined by the combined forces of the singers and orchestra.  More applause followed in honor of the ASO, the singers, and Mr. Ma.  This was a concert to be remembered. 

It is unfortunate that Symphony Hall does not adequately support the sound of this great orchestra.  I noticed that when soloists perform on the portion of the stage where a pit orchestra would play, the sound of their instruments become unfocused and almost “smeared.”  In fact, Mr. Ma’s wonderful cello sounded more focused when he sat in the cello section.  Here the sound board of his instrument faced the side of the orchestra shell and not directly toward the audience.  Its puzzling how this would make it sound better, but from where I was seated, it definitely did.  On my drive home, I heard an ASO recording of the Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances.  The recording sounded so much better than an actual ASO concert.  My guess is that the recording engineers have found a “sweet spot” for the microphones that picks up a magic combination of direct and reflected sound. This adds warmth to the ASO sound and makes the recordings sound rich. It was a nice reminder of how great this orchestra is.

Polish and Schmaltz

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, under Music director Robert Spano, presented the Beethoven Piano concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major (the Emperor) and Edward Elgar’s Symphony No. 1 in A-flat Major. Pianist Dejan Lazic was the soloist. 

The Beethoven is a cornerstone of the classical music repertory.  It is a stirring yet very lyrical piece, particularly in the second movement adagio.  Lazic is a most talented pianist.  His slightly awkward demeanor when walking on stage might mislead one into thinking that his playing might be equally awkward, but indeed that was not the case.   Here is a pianist who knows how to play equally well a pianissimo and a grand forte.  Too often, pianists boost the small sounds while toning down the big ones.  In contrast, Lazic understands that part of the drama of this piece lies in the contrast.  This also gives the orchestra a challenge, that is, how to not overwhelm the quiet and to not use its brute strength to overwhelm the piano at it’s loudest.   Maestro Spano navigated the orchestra through this musical slalom with great skill.  It is astounding that the sound of Symphony Hall’s air handling equipment was louder than a pianissimo played by the soloist and orchestra combined.  The string section was also remarkable in the Adagio.  They were warm, in control, and had great ensemble.  This section of the orchestra is evolving and improving to a great degree.  Even their involvement in their playing seems to be increasing over time. 

The Elgar is a long (55 minutes or so) work that was once described as “the greatest symphony of modern times.”  Unfortunately, the person passing that judgment was the same person to whom the symphony is dedicated, that is, Hans Richter.  When a symphony is dedicated to me, I am certain that I too will believe it to be the greatest ever.  This is not to say it isn’t a grand work is, but great it is not.  If a work is going to require the listener to dedicate nearly an hour to it, then it ought to say something important and compelling.  Like some of Bruckner’s symphonies, the Elgar seems to me to be in need of some editing.  If it were a bit shorter, many of the patron’s who were snoozing through it might have been energized to actually attend to it.  This aside, the work is a schmaltzy, inflated pastiche of late Romantic music.  Elgar was not a major creative force like Mahler, or the great developer like Brahms.  His music is the musical equivalent of the “stiff upper lip.”  Elgar, best known for the “Pomp and Circumstance” marches, teeters very close to including similar march-like themes into his symphony, particularly in the first and second movements.  While most composers reuse material that they composed elsewhere (e.g., Tchaikovsky often did this), Elgar’s borrowing might be due to a lack of inventiveness rather than to redeploying a worthy idea.  Spano, conducting from the score, keep a forward momentum to the music, in spite of its interminable length.  This is where a great conductor can show his or her mettle, while lesser talents can lose their way and only provide a beat (which was the case with the ASO’s recent performance of the Sibelius First symphony under a guest conductor who was a last minute substitution).  Elgar’s music has a sometimes dark quality that emphasizes the low brass and violas.  These sections of the ASO were stellar.  The violas played with a rich tone, and the low brasses were precise and warm.   Spano never seems to let the brass drive a piece, and he showed that skill here also.    

The ASO has a grueling schedule- it performs nearly weekly, where other major orchestras perform maybe only two times a month.  I admire the ASO’s hard work, as well as the vision of the orchestra’s management in adding weekly to the rich cultural life of Atlanta.

    

Finally, I have noted Mr. Lazic’s brilliance.  I do wish, however, that he would have his biography edited by someone whose primary language is English.  It currently reads like a bad Google translation!

Hallelujah....

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra presented it annual performance of Handel’s Messiah.  Norman Mackenzie conducted the Baroque-sized orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chamber Chorus.  The size of the chorus was a perfect match for the size of the orchestra. 

The opening piece was Bach’s Magnificat.  It was wonderful performance that highlighted Bach’s genius for complex polyphony.  It is a fairly short piece and every minute was well sung and played.

 

After intermission, the Handel was presented.  The four soloists, who also sang during the Bach, were”

Stephanie Washington, soprano

Magdalena Wor, Mezzo-soprano

Richard Clement, Tenor

Gerard Sundberg, Bass.

More comments about them in a bit.

Mackenzie and the orchestra were in top form.  The balances were correct, and the harpsichord played an elegant supportive role.  It didn’t lead, as can happen when the conductor is not paying attention to detail.  The Chamber Chorus is a marvel.  Its diction is precise to the degree that it almost sounds like a single voice singing.  The soloists were variable.  The weakest was Washington.  She had great trouble in the lowest range of her voice, and her sound was almost steely throughout.  Clement was not able to muster the volume demanded for a performance in a concert hall.  He was often drowned out by the orchestra and chorus.  I do not blame Mackenzie for this.  Clement just does not have a big voice.  Wor was wonderful.    She has a large voice that never loses its subtlety.  She is in control even at the extremes of her range.  Sundberg has a great voice that suited Symphony Hall. 

Handlel’s music can be incredibly beautiful.  “And he shall purify…” is a rapturous piece that reflects Handle’s own spiritual bliss.  Of course the Hallelujah chorus is oft performed and is a great crowd pleaser.

For once, I felt that the acoustics of Symphony Hall really supported the performance.  As I have noted in other reviews, it seems best suited to smaller ensembles. 

Brief Reviews

Brief reviews:

Atlanta Opera’s presentation of Lucia di Lammermoor was top-notch.  I am not opera savvy, but this powerful story of madness and love was effectively presented.   Special kudos go to Georgia Jarman who played the title role.  Not only is she a good singer, but she was convincing in the role.   The blood effects were also very well done. 

The ASO presented a program that included Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No.  II,  Mozart’s Flute concerto No. 1, and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2.  I was really tired during the performance and thus I think I became a Grinch.  The conductor was last minute substitution Alexander Mickelthwate, who was the ASO’s former assistant conductor.  The flute soloist was Christina Smith.   Ms. Smith is very talented and played the Mozart impeccably, but I found the piece to be rather boring.  The Beethoven was played quite well- I suspect the ASO members can play it while half unconscious.  I found the Sibelius to be a bit odd.  This composer, like other late-Romantics, could wander off into episodic themes and melodies.  Usually I don’t mind it, but I thought Mickelthwate’s interpretation to lack a grand overarching approach to the music that to my ear made the symphony sound like it was lurching from one thing to another.  Again, maybe I was just tired.

The ASO presented a Pops Concert.  I don’t like reviewing such concerts because I generally find that playing soundtrack music, Broadway show tunes and Beatles music to be nothing short of wretched.   Thin music played by a bloated ensemble.  But this recent pops presentation was wonderful and harkened back to the programs of Arthur Fiedler.  It included such pieces as the Flight of the Bumblebee, Jupiter from the Planets, Also Sprach Zarathustra, the 1812 Overture, a medley of Puccini’s greatest hits, among others.  The only nod to Broadway was a few dances from West Side Story.  This music was played with gusto by the orchestra, under Michael Krajewski’s direction.   There were also some great visuals to accompany the festivities.  I was happy that I went.  

A curmudgeon at work....

Often after attending a concert, I am asked “What did I think?’, “How did you like it?” etc.   When I have reservations about the program, or the performance, I try to honestly express my opinion.   I am not one of those people who say “I tell it like it is.”  For me that means the person is giving him- or her- self permission to be rude.  Rather, I try to tell it as I see it- who really knows how it really was.  When others give glowing comments, and I have reservations, I sometimes seem like a curmudgeon.  So, I will be clear- when I review a concert I am sharing my perceptions, which doesn’t make them right or wrong, nor should another assume that their opinions are any more than that. 

So that brings me to this week’s Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concert.   The program included:

Britten- The Building of the House Overture

Brahms- Concerto in A minor for Violin, Cello and Orchestra

Knussen- Symphony in One Movement

Britten- Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Purcell

The conductor was Oliver Knussen.  I had not heard of Knussen before, although I understand he has appeared with the ASO before. 

The Britten overture was well played and again the ASO showed off its increasing virtuosity. The Brahms featured concertmaster David Coucheron and principal cellist Christopher Rex as soloists.  The double concerto is one of my favorite pieces of music and it demonstrates Brahms’ gift for creating wonderful melodies and skilled theme development.  The opening melody in the second movement is one of his most beautiful. Both Coucheron and Rex are talented virtuosi and can be expected to perform wonderfully.  I have great respect for the skills of both.  Now here is where I feel like a curmudgeon.  I am very familiar with performances of the double concerto and I believe that this performance fell a bit short.  It certainly was not bad but it lacked a certain cohesiveness that made it less that truly outstanding, at least for me.  The problem was that there did not seem to be agreement between the soloists about how they should approach the music.  Coucheron has a big tone and great control over his instrument.  He plays with maximum drama, accentuating the passion in the work.  Rex, however, seemed meek in comparison.   Maybe it was due to Coucheron’s sound board beings perfectly aligned with my ear, where Rex’s cello was aimed directly at the audience.  Maybe it is the tricky acoustics of symphony hall.  But, the result was two distinctly different approaches to the music.  In addition, it seemed that Rex was a bit shaky in the introduction to the first movement.  Once, he warmed up, that disappeared.  Singly they played admirably, but together, it was a bit unsatisfying.  

Knussen’s Symphony is One Movement is a revision of an earlier Concerto for Orchestra written by the composer/conductor.  There were several nods to jazz-like themes, especially in the trumpets and piano.  I am not a fan of what is an essentially improvisational musical style being written so as to limit improvisation by the players.  This symphony is not unpleasant and maybe with a few hearings I might actually like it.  I was surprised that the composer conducted from a score.   The ASO violin section was particularly strong in this performance.  They played together precisely. 

The final piece by Britten, usually know as the “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra” was well played by the ASO.  But I wonder why this piece is scheduled for a concert audience.  It is simplistic music that is designed to show off the orchestra, but it seems like preaching to the choir when played in concert format.  Fortunately we were spared having to listen to a spoken narrative abut each instrument or section of the orchestra.  The brass and percussion sections of the ASO were standouts in this performance.

 

Knussen’s right hand is like a rapier when counting the beat.  He was in control of the orchestra and they performed very well under his direction. 

Lied me on....

The Munich Symphony Orchestra played at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, NE.  I had not been at the Lied for about 15 years and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the facility.  The auditorium, with a capacity of 2200 is painted in a warm terra cotta color.  The acoustics match the warmth of the paint.  I had forgotten how large the auditorium is and how the lack of large overhangs provides great sight lines.  This is one facility where the inexpensive seats have as a good a view as the pricier variety.  The stage also seems quite large, easily accommodating an orchestra and chorus.  The hall is simple and streamlined. The light and sound rigging over the stage is finished in soft silver.  This simple design should ensure that the auditorium should age well.   The Lied lobbies, however, are another matter.  They seemed cramped with very low ceilings.  They are decorated in 1980’s chic and are in need of some updating.  The entry to the facility contains the box office and two flights of stairs lead up to the main lobby.  This entrance area is utilitarian and cramped.  There is a woven wall sculpture which looks a bit old.  A large oil painting of Ernst Lied, the benefactor for the facility, is in the stair well to the main lobby.  He apparently looked a lot like Henry Kissinger.  The architects of the facility seemed to have made the auditorium their priority, which makes sense. Lincoln should be proud to have such a nice facility.  If only Atlanta could have as nice a facility for its symphony, but that discussion is for another day. 

The Munich orchestra was conducted by Phillipe Entrement in an all Mozart program, although the orchestra’s website indicated that “Transfigured Night” by Schoenberg was scheduled.  I would have preferred the Schoenberg.  The orchestra was rather small.  I am not sure if this was a touring ensemble or whether this is indeed as grand as it gets.  It was about half the size of a typical orchestra.  In the service of full disclosure, I must admit that Mozart is not my favorite composer.  I know that all other classical music fans think he is the greatest but I think his music is predictable and, yes, a bit boring, while being very elegant.  The program started with his Serenata Notturna, K 239.  I actually liked the piece and the all-string ensemble played very well.  The sound was warm, helped out by the Lied’s pleasant reverberation.  The second piece was he Piano Concerto No. 12.  Entrement, who first came to public attention as a result of his pianistic skills, was the soloist and he conducted the orchestra from the piano.  This is one of those Mozart pieces that seems formulaic and rote to me.  

The final piece on the program was the monumental Mozart Requiem in D minor.  This is one of the cornerstones of the western classical tradition and it deserves the reverence for it.  The Gloriae Dei Contores was the chorus, supplemented by singers from Nebraska Wesleyan, although the program was rather vague about this.  The soloists included Valentina Fleer, soprano; Julie Cherrier, Soprano; Eric Barry, tenor; and Benjamin Bloomfield, baritone.  Of these capable soloists, the weakest was Bloomfield who often could not be heard over the combine symphony and chorus.  Entrement generally kept very good balances between soloists, orchestra, and chorus.  The chorus was not so large as to drown out the other forces, as happens in Atlanta.  The chorus sang with precision and had very good ensemble.

 

This was a very enjoyable concert.  The Lied is a treat and the near capacity audience was grateful, did not provide a standing ovation after each piece, as happens all too frequently in Atlanta.   Maybe the contrast is due to Midwestern reserve versus Southern manners. 

Just one more small quibble- the Lied should lose the plastic trees on the stage.  They are, if you will pardon the pun, bush league. 

Double Wow!

Robert Spano returned to conduct the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra this week.  The program consisted of:

Rachmaninov- The Bells, for chorus, orchestra and Solo

Salonen- Nyx (an Atlanta Premiere)

Scriabin- The Poem of Ecstasy

This was another exciting ASO program.  The oldest piece was written in 1908 (the Poem).  Having a concert that included music from only the last two centuries is a treat for those of us who appreciate newer music.  But lest we get carried away, we must remember that both Rachmaninov and Scriabin were very late romantics, with the former being an unabashed romantic composer.  Scriabin was more avant garde, not only in his music, but also in his inspiration than his one-time classmate and contemporary.  Scriabin limited output was something of a mystic while Rachmaninov was something of a depressive, and their music reflects those two paths. 

“The Bells” is Rachmaninov’s masterpiece and is a large-scale work for orchestra, chorus, and soloists, and has as its text, Edgar Allan Poe’s poem of the same name.  The orchestra is augmented by an expansive percussion section, and an organ, which provides for some particularly chest-ratting pedal notes.  The soloists in this performance were two Russian singers and one Israeli of Russian extraction.  Tatiana Monogarova is a soprano and she sang the second section titled: “The Mellow Wedding Bells.”  She is a statuesque woman with a wonderful voice.  She is proof that all opera singers need not be plus-sized.  When Ms. Monogarova sat down after her solo, she wrapped herself in her scarf with a very feminine flourish.  It didn’t make her a better singer, but it was certainly elegant.  Sergey Romanovsky is a tenor who sang the introductory “The Silver Sleigh Bells.”  He too has a strong voice that only occasionally was overwhelmed by the orchestra and chorus (more about that later).  He is a trim person and is proof that all tenors need not be plus-sized.  The final soloist was bass Denis Sedov.  He has a wonderful deep voice that did not sound boxy.  He is very trim and tall.  He looked to be nearly a foot taller than Maestro Spano.  The Atlanta Symphony Chorus, under the direction of Norman Mackenzie, was in top form for this performance.  Their precision is nothing short of amazing- it is if they sing with one voice.  Because the chorus is so large, it has a tendency, at times, to overwhelm the soloists and even the orchestra.  This may be due to the rather smallish Symphony Hall auditorium, but if so, the size of the chorus should be reduced.  Nevertheless, this was a stunning performance that showcased so many of the great ASO instrumentalists.   There was no section of the orchestra that performed with less than near perfect precision, ensemble, and intonation. 

“Nyx” is a kind of modern tone poem composed by the renowned former music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic /composer Esa-Pekka Salonen.  This piece was a co-commission of the ASO and other national and international orchestras and organizations.  The piece also requires a large orchestra and again showed off the tremendous capabilities of the ASO musicians.  It is sometimes difficult to review new works, since it’s often the first chance to hear the music.  Structure is more difficult to discern, as well as the overall impact of the piece.  There was no doubt, however, that Salonen is a master orchestrator- he knows how to showcase each instrument with music written to its strengths.  “Nyx” is a dynamic piece that relentlessly moves forward.  It never seems to lose momentum, which did not seem lost on Spano or the orchestra.  Fortunately Salonen is not one of those contemporary composers who feel the need to make their music immediately accessible and hummable.  This is not a composer who writes “smooth contemporary classical,” which to me is akin to talking about the bland brand of elevator music that has become known as “smooth jazz.”  “Nyx” can be melodic, but it also can be gritty and challenging.  It was a treat to hear, and the ASO was again on top of its game.

The final piece, The Poem of Ecstasy, is also written for a large orchestra.  Scriabin wanted this music to reflect the ecstasy of love, dreams, and art.  This is passionate music and it is not difficult to tell when the moments of ecstasy are represented.  While it has moments of dissonance, it is still a late romantic composition.  Using the classic Stokowski/Houston Symphony Everest recording of The Poem from decades ago, as a reference, I found the ASO/Spano performance to be clearly superior.  The Atlanta ensemble is more skilled and Spano’s interpretation seemed to amp up the emotionality of the piece quite a bit.  This was a sparkling and rousing performance.

These past two ASO concerts have been outstanding and they highlight some remarkable directions in the orchestra.  The first is that the string sections have increased significantly their tonal quality and also their precision.  Their phrasing is precise and in unison.  These sections are so much improved over the sometimes-ragged performances of just a few years ago.  The woodwinds remain one of the strongest sections of the orchestra, and the brass sections have greatly improved also.  There is no doubt that Music Director revels in contemporary works.  The intensity of his conducting increases when playing newer music and he seems more in control of his forces.  He is also to be credited for his support of contemporary music such as “Nyx.” 

When I attended the concert, the house was nowhere close to capacity.  My guess is that the lack of the easy-listening top ten classical composers kept patrons away.  But those who stayed appreciated what they were experiencing and gave repeated curtains calls after the Scriabin, as well as standing ovations after the earlier pieces.  These performances deserved those kinds of accolades and it was wonderful to see the audience be so receptive to such a program.  The ASO and Spano are taking “Nyx” to Carnegie Hall.  New Yorkers are in for a treat.  

Wow!

The Atlanta Symphony, conducted by Miguel Harth-Bedoya presented a concert with three familiar showcases for orchestra and soloist.  The program included:

Rimsky-Korsakov- Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34

Rachmaninov- Piano Concerto No. 2

Mussorgsky-Ravel-Pictures at an Exhibition

The piano soloist was Horacio Gutierrez. 

This is the kind of program that the Philadelphia under Ormandy would present.  Ormandy knew how to draw in the crowds and how to show off the skill of his wonderful musicians.  He scheduled such works repeatedly, apparently without reservation.  He knew that his orchestra was spectacular when playing such compositions pieces, which often require the use of a very large ensemble.  It was a pleasure to hear the ASO play these three works, which enabled it to demonstrate its skill. 

Gutierrez was masterful in the Rachmaninov.  He plays with a big, but not overwhelming sound.  For the most part, the balance between the soloist and orchestra was on target.  It was an immensely satisfying performance. 

Ravel’s orchestra of Mussorgsky’s Pictures is sometimes startling in the way that it showcases the sections of the orchestra.  Had it not been based on a familiar solo piano work, it might have been called a concerto for orchestra.  The piece pays homage to the paintings of Viktor Hartmann, a friend of Mussorgsky. Much of Hartmann’s work has been lost or destroyed, so we do not have them as a reference, but Ravel’s skill at orchestration made each of the ten paintings on which the piece is based come to life.

Each piece on the program highlighted various players in the orchestra.  Special recognition should go to David Coucheron, concertmaster; Laura Ardan, principal clarinet; Christina Smith, principal flute; Michael Moore, principal tuba; Elisabeth Remy Johnson, principal harpist; the entire percussion section; Mark Yancich, principal timpani; Christopher Rex, principal cello; and the English Horn player, whose name I could not locate in the ASO program. 

Miguel Harth-Bedoya is music director of the Fort Worth Symphony.   Like his counterpart at the Dallas Symphony, Jap Van Zweden, Harth-Bedoya strongly signals his intentions to the players.  He controls the dynamics with both his hands and face.  His baton provides a precise beat and he conducted the program from memory.  The ASO seems to respond well to leaders who take a strong hand, judging by their performance with Van Zweden last season and Harth-Bedoya this season. 

If I was CEO of an orchestra and I had to develop a short-list of candidates to become a music director, these two fine conductors would be on it. (This would only be the case, of course, if the current Music Director was being discussed as a candidate for a more prestigious post- say like in Boston.)   Van Zweden might not see the ASO as a step up from Dallas, but Harth-Bedoya might see it differently from his Forth Worth vantage point.

 

This was a great concert and the audience appreciated it, although in Atlanta, the audience seems to appreciate everything, given the number of standing ovations it is willing to give.  In this case, the SO was deserved.  

A work in progress.....

Mei-Ann Chen conducted the ASO in two concerts, October 6 and 8.  Ms. Chen has become something of the next great thing in conducting circles for several reasons: she is a woman in a male-dominated profession, she has turned around the fortunes of the Memphis Symphony, and she seems competent. 

The following comprised the program:

Abels- Gobal Warming

Ravel- Piano Concerto in G Major, with Terrence Wilson as soloist

Franck- Symphony in D Minor

The Abels piece was commissioned by the Phoenix Symphony Guild and was premiered by the Phoenix Youth Symphony.  The composer has some notion of how the music relates to global warming, as described in the ASO program, but it seems that he wrote the music and then came up with a title.  The piece has an Irish melody and then one from the Middle East.  These themes are swirled around and bounced from here to there.  But, to me, it should have been the soundtrack to a TV travel documentary.  It is uninspired music that seems better suited to the Verizon Amphitheater with its huge screen than to symphony hall.  I can see why its premiere was with the youth symphony rather than the Phoenix symphony.  It received a nice reception from the audience. 

The Ravel Concerto seems almost a transitional piece from his early impressionistic compositions to a harder edged-jazz influenced piece.  (Given Ravel’s penchant for rouge and satin robes, I am not sure how hard-edged he really could be, but I digress).  In fact, Frenchman Ravel was a fan of jazz, and felt that Americans simply did not appreciate their home-grown music.  Apparently he and George Gerswhin frequented jazz clubs in Harlem to take in the atmosphere and the music.  It’s probably worthy of note here that even today the French are bigger fans of jazz that Americans.  The soloist and orchestra were well-matched partners.  Chen and Wilson seemed to follow each other carefully so the performance came together well.  The second movement, which relies heavily on the pianist, seemed rather leaden to me.  Wilson does not have a big tone, but surprisingly he doesn’t have a particularly light tone either. 

The Franck piece is in the standard repertory, but is not heard all that often.  The last Atlanta performance was in 1994.  I like this piece and can remember hearing played by the Philadelphia Orchestra under Ormandy.  No doubt that it was a sumptuous performance.  For me now, the work seems a bit bloated and it could tolerate being edited down by about 10 minutes.  Chen was interesting.  At times, I could not tell what piece she was conducting since her baton movements had little to do with the music being played.  The ASO, being professionals, ignored her and went on, although the trumpets came perilously close to coming apart in the first movement.  Also, the final chord of the first movement was nothing short of disastrous.  No one was together.  I fault Chen totally for this, since her final baton instruction was indecisive.  The ASO perform wonderfully throughout.  Special recognition should go to the trumpets, trombones, woodwinds, violins and basses.  They sounded first rate especially in the finale. 

My conclusion is that Chen is a work in progress.

  

All too fmailiar....

Joshua Bell

On October 2, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, under Music Director Robert Spano, presented a program that included:

Golijov-  Sidereus, Overture for Small Orchestra

Tchaikovsky- Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, with Joshua Bell as soloist

Brahms- Symphony No.4 in E Minor

Golijov is one of Spano’s Atlanta School of Composers and “Sidereus” was Co-commissioned by the ASO. Like his counterparts in the Atlanta School, his music is listenable and does not challenge the ear.  I like his music better than what I consider to be the bland music of his colleagues.  “Sidereus” begins with a theme that seems somehow not just right.  The orchestra seems unraveled and not together, but as the music builds, by the middle of the piece, the whole business comes together in a pleasant piece.  The ASO did a fine job with the music and everyone seemed happy. 

Then came Joshua Bell.  No surprise here- he played the Tchaikovsky as if it were his second skin.  My guess is that he could be half conscious and play it well.  The ASO played a supportive role and acquitted itself quite well.  My only objection to the performance was that this concerto was played only last April in Symphony Hall by the ASO and Sergei Krylov.  With Bell’s extensive repertory, I wonder why it was necessary for us to hear this all-too-familiar work again.  I assume it was programmed in order to sell tickets.  I must admit I have grown so tired of this warhorse that even a great performance feels old and tired.  The audience, however, loved it.  There was applause after each movement, which gave Bell the chance to wipe his brow. 

The Brahms Fourth, while beautiful, is, for me, the weakest of this great composer’s symphonies.  There are times in it where the transitions between sections seem worn out and not of the highest order.  That aside, this piece provided ample opportunity for the best of the ASO to show through.  The trumpets, strings, and woodwinds sounded magnificent.  Spano’s interpretation did not provide new insights into the work, but it was a grand performance.  The audience applauded in between movements also. 

There was the requisite standing ovation at the end of the performance.  Atlantans are always courteous, if a bit over -exuberant.   But if this kind of programming and performances will pack the house, then I am all for it. 

Highlands-Cashiers chamber Music Festival

The Highlands-Cashiers Chamber Music Festival lasts for a little over a month.  I attended “The Best of Brahms” concert at the Highlands Performing Arts Center. 

Highlands is a beautiful small town in the hills of the south Appalachians.  It has one of those perfect little main streets lined with stores that peddle those oh-so-precious things that make some people’s hearts go pitter pat.  It’s the kind of place where older men lean on the store fronts while their wives melt the credit cards on today’s treasures.  This is an enclave of white, well-heeled people.  I did not see one even reasonably tanned face in the whole town.  But I digress. 

The program included:

Violin Sonata in A Major

Trio for clarinet, cello and piano

Trio for horn, violin and piano

The performers were: Timothy Fain, violin; Chris Rex, cello; Elizabeth Pridgen, and William Ransom, piano; Laura Ardan, clarinet; Brice Andrus, horn

I am a great admirer of Brahms music so this was a touch of wonderful for me.  The Violin sonata featured Fain and Ransom.  Fain is a young player with a very warm tone in his playing.  He also musters quite a big sound for the violin.  Ransom offered his usual competent accompaniment, although I could have done without the patent leather shoes.  This piece is beautiful that I can truly “be in the moment” when listening to it. 

The Trio for clarinet, cell, and piano featured Ardan, Rex, and Ransom.  Ardan is simply the best.  She is principal clarinetist for the Atlanta Symphony and her playing is sensitive, strong, and is equally talented with the pianissimo and the forte.  She also enjoys playing music and is fun to watch.  Rex is principal cellist for the ASO and is also a remarkable musician.  A few times during the work, I thought the balances between the clarinet and cello was a bit off, but nothing major. 

The final trio for horn, violin and piano featured Fain, Andrus, and Pridgen.  The audience of about 200 provided the performance with a standing ovation.  Not from me, however.  The balances between the instruments were way off.  Andrus, principal horn of the ASO, often was too loud and he overwhelmed the violin, although Fain fought a good fight.  There were also intonation problems with the horn, which I grant is a notoriously difficult instrument to play. However, this performance was so grating that the glory of the music was lost.  I have frequently been critical of the ASO horn section, and its tendency to slide into notes and for intonation problems.  The legacy continues. 

The Highlands Performing Arts Center looks like some kind of repurposed building.  It’s nice for such a small town and its acoustics were very supportive of the music. 

Peachtree United Methodist

Tom Trenney presented a recital as part of the Atlanta Summer Organ Festival at the Peachtree United Methodist Church.  This is a large performing space that has less reverberation than the previous recital at St. Phillips, but it still has that cathedral-like sound.  From the churches website:  “The Great Organ of Peachtree Road, installed by Mander Organs of London, England, is the largest mechanical action 
organ ever built by a British organ builder.  With mechanical action, the oldest type of organ action, the motions of the player are translated through long wooden strips made from cedar, commonly called “trackers.”  This provides a direct mechanical link from each note on the keyboard to the different divisions of the organ.“

Mr. Trenney is the Minister of music from First Plymouth Church in Lincoln, NE.  In fact I have the opportunity to hear him play in Lincoln last weekend.

The program consisted of works spanning some 40 0 years.  The first was Bach’s Fugue in E-Flat Major (“St. Anne”).  Maybe it was warm up issues, or jitters, but I though the piece tended to wander a bit and did not seem to have the tightness that is characteristic of Bach. 

The second piece “A Teller of Tales (A Suite of Stories from Childhood) by Jennifer A. Connor.  This work is colorful and the musical representation of the childhood tales is on target, for example in The Tortoise and the Hare: The Race.  Since Trenney had premiered this work, his was very familiar with it and his playing showed it.  This was followed by a work by Sweelinck that demonstrated the organ’s ability to play early as well as romantic era pieces. 

Three French fantasies by Alain, Vierne and Franck followed.  The Franck Choral No. 1 in E Major enabled Trenney to show off the capabilities of the Mander Organ.  Finally, Trenney did humorous Improvisations on Submitted themes, including “America the Beautiful” and “Whistle While You Work.”  Each them was reworked as a Prelude, Fugue, Scherzo or Toccata.  These were cleverly done and shows Trenney’s  mastery over traditional musical forms for the organ.

Trenney introduced each piece. His presentations were engaging and informative.  He seemed very comfortable in his narrative role. 

This was most enjoyable recital by a very talented organist in a beautiful church with a magnificent organ. 

Atlanta Summer Organ Festival

Maxine Thevenot presented an organ recital as part of the Atlanta Summer Organ Festival at the Cathedral of St. Philip.  The sanctuary at St. Philip is in a beautiful neo-Gothic style.  The church sits on a promontory on Peachtree St NW in Atlanta.  The Aeolian-Skinner organ is from 1962 and it has a wondrous sonority in the warm and reverberant acoustical environment in which it is located.  Pedal notes vibrate the chest like a train running through your living room.  The grounds of the church are also impressive.

The recital included works by Sixten, Ager, Vierne, Widor, Wolf, Vaughn Williams, and Togni.  Edmund Connolly was the baritone in Wolf’s Three Songs from the Spanish Lieder and in The Call by Vaughn Williams.  He and Thevenot have teamed previously and they have managed to work out the perfect balance between the organ and the human voice.  The recital was enjoyable if not particularly exciting. 

There was a reception for the artists afterward and they served great pastries, including light crème éclairs and puffs.  Who could complain?

SONICpalooza- poor camera phone but you get the idea