Filed under: Reviews | Tags: Bahman Saless, Gregory Walker, Max Soto, Samuel Barber, Szilvia Schranz
I am very pleased to say that Colorado now has a chamber orchestra under the direction of Maestro Bahman Saless that surpasses the former Denver Chamber Orchestra of years ago under the direction of Maestra JoAnn Falletta. The Boulder Chamber Orchestra is a remarkable group, and though their performance on Saturday night, November 13, at the Broomfield Auditorium was not without a fault, there’s no mistaking the professionalism, dedication and musicianship of everyone in the orchestra.
They opened the program with Rossini’s Overture to The Barber of Seville. In spite of a slight bobble on the very first note, the performance was light and airy and absolutely sparkled. The long crescendos (similar to the Mannheim Rocket, except that they are not broken, arpeggiated chords), so typical of Rossini, were very exciting and yet, very controlled. But most importantly, it sounded like the overture to a comic opera. It had that spirit and the connectivity. The woodwinds were outstanding, especially the clarinet and bassoon. I might add, that these days it seems rare to have such good second violins, but they were there, full of confidence and musicology. Rossini wrote all of the music for the Opera in about three weeks. The opera’s first performance was a dismal failure because of several accidents on stage, and the fact that Rossini’s compatriot and rival, Piasiello, had stirred up the audience because he had just finished his own Barber of Seville. However, the second performance was just the opposite: an astounding success. Wouldn’t it be interesting if rivalries like that occurred today?
The second piece on the program was Samuel Barber’s incomparable Knoxville: Summer of 1915. I was a little bit surprised that in the program the full title was not listed. It simply said Knoxville Summer. This work exemplifies Samuel Barber’s style of composition which was very lyrical, tonally centered, and unmistakably American. I believe that many performers consistently underrate this composer. The work itself was written in 1947, and is for soprano, really a narrator, and orchestra. The text comes from a piece of prose written by James Agee in 1938. The narrator describes what it was like to grow up in Knoxville, Tennessee, and it begins, “We are talking now of summer evenings in Knoxville, Tennessee, in the time that I lived there so successfully disguised to myself as a child.” The only other piece that I can think of that is so unceasingly successful that uses a narrator and ensemble is Igor Stravinsky’s “The Soldier’s Tale.” Both of these works need to be performed more often, and what a treat it was to hear this remarkable piece Saturday evening. It was the eminent American soprano Eleanor Steber who commissioned Samuel Barber to compose this piece. You may also recall that Ms. Steber was the first to perform the role of Marie in Alban Berg’s opera Wozzeck. In addition, she also performed the title role of Vanessa in Samuel Barber’s opera, Vanessa.
The soprano Saturday night was Szilvia Schranz of Boulder. I will quote from the program notes: “Ms. Schranz was born in Budapest, Hungary, into a family of musicians that had worked for generations in Hungarian National Opera and Hungarian Festival Orchestra. When she was 10, her family relocated to Boulder, where the members of her father’s string quartet, the Grammy-winning Takács Quartet, were appointed as musicians-in-residence at the University of Colorado School of Music.”
Szilvia Schranz has won many awards and scholarships and has performed in operas in the United States and Canada. She has also sung in England and Europe. She has an absolutely wonderful voice that has a very sweet quality, one of almost naïveté, but it perfectly fits Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915. She is also very expressive. I really think that this is a young lady that everyone should pay attention to.
And now, comes the problem. My first impression on hearing Ms. Schranz, and I am sure that I was in error, was that her voice was too small and that her diction was uneven. There was never any question about her ability to stay on pitch. But I say that I was in error, because I think the fault came from the orchestra itself, and not Ms. Schranz. They were simply too loud. And that is a surprise because Maestro Saless unquestionably knows his business. Nonetheless, there were times when the orchestra covered the soloist, and this is a problem that every single orchestra in the world has faced at one time or another. It is my sincere hope that the next time the Boulder Chamber Orchestra performs in the Broomfield Auditorium, which is a fine venue, they put someone in the hall to listen to the balance. It was clear that both the orchestra and soloist were very well prepared, and that the problem did not lie in preparation, but in underestimating the hall. It was still a pleasure to hear the performance of a work that is so rarely done, but I also know that with this orchestra and this soloist, the performance would have been absolutely perfect if they had checked the balance.
After the intermission, Maestro Saless announced that since this was Veterans Day week, they would perform a work by Samuel Barber and dedicate it to the veterans. He said that he would not tell the audience the name of the work, and indeed there was no need to do so at all. The orchestra then performed Barber’s most famous piece, the Adagio for Strings. Not many people realize that this famous piece came from the second movement of his String Quartet, Opus 11, composed while he was still a student at the Curtis Institute of Music. This was in 1936. Two years later, he orchestrated it, and sent the orchestrated version to the legendary conductor, Arturo Toscanini. Toscanini, who had a prodigious memory, returned the score to Barber. Later, through Barber’s close friend, the composer Gian Carlo Menotti, Toscanini said he had returned it because he had already memorized the score. It was successfully premiered on November 5, 1938. One always assumes that orchestras become accustomed to performing the pieces that they play. But occasionally, the audience, if they look closely, can see that the music performed still causes a strong, emotional response. Saturday night, there were a few damp eyes in the orchestra. And why shouldn’t it be so?
The final work on the program Saturday night was Barber’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra. It was performed by Gregory Walker, who is the concertmaster of the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra and a Professor at the University of Colorado-Denver. Again, quoting from the program notes: “Since a marathon performance of Bruch’s Kol Nidre, an original arrangement of Ora No Omboko and his own Bad Rap for Violin and Chamber Orchestra with the Colorado Symphony in 1996, Gregory Walker has charted his own creative course while developing unique collaborations with the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, the Breckenridge Festival Orchestra, the Ft. Collins Symphony, the Yaquina Chamber Orchestra, and the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, as well as Poland’s Filharmonia Sudecka and the Encuentro Musical de los Americas in Havana, Cuba.” “…He is currently working with filmmaker Charles Fryberger on Song of the Untouchable, a documentary film project that will take him to Kerala, India, to perform with Dalit caste musicians.”
This Concerto certainly had a checkered beginning. It was commissioned by Samuel Fels for his adopted son, Iso Briselli. When Briselli showed the work to his violin coach, Albert Meiff, Meiff suggested that the third movement be reworked, and that the entire piece was somewhat mediocre. Barber stood his ground and eventually the piece was played by the Curtis Institute Symphony Orchestra conducted by Fritz Reiner, and given another “official” premiere conducted by Eugene Ormandy. It has remained a mainstay of violin repertoire ever since.
Walker’s performance of this Concerto was adequate, though there were instances in the first movement where he was not quite on pitch. Also, to his defense, the BCO was again overpowering. It just didn’t seem as though Walker’s violin had much power, but I don’t think that was the case. Someone should have checked the balance. Walker’s violin certainly did have a very good sound. The second movement contained some really fine oboe work from Max Soto, the 1st Oboe of the orchestra. There were just a few instances where it seemed as though Walker was a little late to the beat. The third movement is a difficult “perpetual motion” style of movement, and while not overly difficult, does tax a violinist’s ability. For the most part, Walker did quite well with this movement, though the opening could have been a little clearer. As I said, this is a good performance, but it seemed to me that Walker’s playing was missing the confidence and connection one has to a piece that comes from hard practice and close examination. It was as if he was viewing the work from afar, rather than knowing it intimately.
The audience response was enthusiastic, and Mr. Walker performed an encore; a Lullaby by Manuel da Falla, which was transcribed from a song to violin and piano solo. I did not hear Mr. Walker announce who had done the transcription, but I believe it to be from a set of six songs, written by da Falla shortly before his death. It is a beautiful piece, and Walker seemed to perform it with considerably more conviction than the concerto.
This really was a very enjoyable concert in spite of the balance problem. I am certainly looking forward to their next performance which will be December 17, at the first Congregational Church of Boulder, and December 18, again in the Broomfield Auditorium. At those concerts, they are performing the Holberg Suite by Grieg, which is a work that I, at least, have not heard live for several years. The Boulder Chamber Orchestra is fulfilling exquisitely well, a niche that has been empty for some time. They possess genuine artistry, thanks to their dedication, ability, and their fine conductor.
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Whoa there! Ms. Steber was NOT the first Wozzeck Marie. She would have been about 11 years old. She was, however, the first Marie at the Metropolitan Opera.
It’s a shame that the orchestra had to do the Barber Adagio, though it is, of course a masterpiece. But it has become such an over played work. With Gregory Walker as the concertmaster and soloist for the concert, it might have been far more appropriate to play his father George’s Lyric for Strings, also the second movement of a string quartet, and also composed by a Curtis grad in more or less the same period. It is a very touching work.
Comment by Paul Mack Somers November 15, 2010 @ 6:50 amDear Paul: Your point about the Adagio is well taken. To perform it, was quite an afterthought for us because many people asked me “why” we are not performing the Adagio as well. I hope that one day we will perform the Lyric for Strings..I have looked at it but we thought we knew the Barber Adagio well enough to put it together rather quickly. I actually felt bad not giving it all the due rehearsal time as it was truly a late addition to the program but felt that people would love to hear it and Mr. Barber would have been aptly served.
Comment by Bahman Saless November 15, 2010 @ 11:47 amThe Barber Violin Concerto was played by superbly by Gregory Walker, concertmaster of the Boulder Philharmonic. The inept remarks about the concert are unfortunate.
Comment by george walker December 29, 2010 @ 11:10 amI appreciate the thoughtful commentary on this performance, but I was disappointed that the author was so critical of the soloist. It is hard enough to earn a living as a musician without bad press. Besides, Mr. Walker is an incredible violinist even if he was lacking a little bit in this performance. I would suggest such criticisms be limited a bit. One could simply say they were not very moved by the performance or such like, but in-depth criticism of a musician can actually hurt their career. Besides, who really wants to read it? I think public criticism of musicians benefits no one.
Comment by James June 15, 2011 @ 9:53 pmI have read a few personal attacks on Mr. McNeil when his views on a particular soloist or group was contrary to someone’s opinion. I’d give the public more credit to discern what comments are fair or not and if someone simply disagrees, then they have the room to simply “disagree” but to chastise a critic or try to discredit his opinion is just as unfair.
One has to remember that even in the best of circumstances the final extra-musical experience is still subjective. In this respect a musician’s livelihood and perception of his capabilities cannot possibly be affected by a single negative criticism. I have seen the greatest musicians have sub-par performances and that has never detracted from their stature as a great musician. A live performance is always prone to mistakes, lack of concentration, etc. You just move on and hope to do better next time.
For any great artist, a negative criticism should be used as fuel to better oneself. We all strive for the same thing and I’d say most agree that false praise is just as unhelpful as false criticism…… even though that these are all subjective.
Bahman Saless.
Comment by Bahman Saless June 16, 2011 @ 11:26 am@Bahman Saless
Point taken. I guess my frustrations were a little unfair. My apologies to Mr. McNeil and please disregard my previous comment.
Comment by James June 17, 2011 @ 11:52 am