Filed under: Reviews | Tags: Brady Loyd, Carl Orff, Catherine Sailer, Ellen Leslie, Gregory Gentry, Hunter Hall, Jena Dickey, Jesse Ayers, Joseph Docksey, Kenneth Cox, Lamont School of Music, Lawrence Golan, Paul Smith
Thursday night, May 26, Gates Hall was absolutely jammed. There was an enormous line for those waiting to get tickets, who, like myself, did not have the presence of mind to get a ticket in advance. This was the Season Finale of the Lamont School of Music, a concert dedicated to Director Joseph Docksey, who is retiring in July after 34 years of commitment to the University of Denver and the Lamont School of Music. The fact that Gates Hall was completely full, with people standing around the edges, at least in the balcony level, speaks volumes about his impact on the University. If it were not for him, there would be no Newman Center most likely, and I am sure that the faculty would not be so excellent. You must understand that it is rare for a Director of Music to hold the position for such a long time. The fact that Joe Docksey did, is ample evidence of what he accomplished for the University and the Lamont School of Music, and the trust and admiration that was given him by his faculty and his superiors.
This concert was given by the Lamont Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Dr. Lawrence Golan; the Lamont Chorale and Lamont Women’s Chorus, conducted by Dr. Catherine Sailer; the Lamont Men’s Choir, conducted by Paul Smith; the Arizona State University Chorale, conducted by Dr. Gregory Gentry; and the Young Voices of Colorado, conducted by Jena Dickey.
There were two works on the program, the first, Jericho, written by American composer, Jesse Ayres, born in 1951, who has been performed in Japan,New Zealand, South Africa, Russia, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, and over 100 U.S. cities, and has twice been selected to represent the United States at the ISCM World Music Days. His awards include a MacDowell Fellowship, an Individual Creativity Excellence Award from the Ohio Arts Council, annual awards from ASCAP, and grants from Meet the Composer and the American Music Center. He is Professor of Music at Malone University in Ohio.
Jericho is a composition for orchestra, choir, narrator, and musicians surrounding the audience, and a considerable use of audience participation. The work tells the story of the Battle of Jericho. The audience joined the choir in singing and shouting during the performance, simulating Joshua’s army and the people of Jericho. The narrator in this work was Kenneth Cox, Chairman of the Voice Department at the Lamont School, and frankly I cannot imagine a better choice. Cox has a well-nigh perfect voice. Most of you know that Kenneth Cox received his MM degree from Indiana University. (I don’t know what year he received his degree, but he would have been perfect in the role of Klingsor in Wagner’s Parsifal which the Music School at Indiana produced every Good Friday for 17 years. Unfortunately, a devastating fire wiped out the costumes and scenery for Parsifal, and many other operas, in 1976.)
At Thursday night’s performance, the moment he began to speak, several people in the audience around me were so startled by the size and power of his voice that they jumped. This was really a very good piece, and I must say that Jesse Ayers, the composer, really knows how to use instrumental sections scattered around the audience. I have heard this kind of composition before, but this was by far the most successful use of what Ayers calls, quite accurately, “surround sound.” His orchestral writing is as excellent as his use of voices, and he is certainly remarkably skilled in his use of percussion. But it certainly says something about his skill in the placement of these instruments. When you consider the fact that each hall where this piece is performed is different, and since Mr. Ayres was present for this performance, I came to the conclusion that he placed the instruments just to suit Gates Hall. The Lamont Symphony, as usual, was superb, and they once again played with incredible excitement and energy. I am always tremendously impressed with Lawrence Golan’s ability to get so much out of student orchestra. In addition, it is very plain what the students think of him and his leadership. They make that known in their response to him and by the smiles on their faces before and after a performance. Yes, occasionally, there is a fuzzy entrance, but I still am forced to compare this orchestra to my old alma mater, Indiana University, which has, of course, one of the finest symphony orchestras of any music school in the world.
The second work on the program was the Carmina Burana, composed in 1936 by Carl Orff. As soon as it was written, this composition became a famous piece to be included in concert repertoire. It has also been used, especially the opening poem of the 24 (the 25th is a repeat of the first poem) in several films made in the US and Europe. As most of you know, Carmina Burana is a collection of poems which were found in 1803 in a Bavarian Benedictine monastery. The poems are from all overEurope, and modern research has still not identified, and might never identify, the person who collected them or how they arrived at this particular monastery. The poems themselves encompass topics on morals, drinking, and love, with the love poems being far more numerous than the other two categories.
The presentation of this work was another masterful combination of resources, similar to the Lamont School’s concert of The Planets, which was done in January of last year. The Arizona State University Chorale, conducted by Gregory Gentry, was the guest choir at Thursday’s concert. They were augmented by the Lamont Chorale, the Lamont Women’s Chorus, both under the direction of Dr. Catherine Sailer, and the Lamont Men’s Choir under the direction of Paul Smith. In addition, the Young Voices of Colorado were used in the chorus and conducted and prepared by Jena Dickey. I would like to make it clear that this very large choir bore the imprint of all four of these choir conductors, even though Maestro Lawrence Golan conducted the concert. Maestros Sailer, Smith, Dickey, and Gentry had to prepare these choirs, and I point out that that takes a lot of time and preparation, of course. Diction in such a large choir is always a problem, but in Thursday night’s performance, while I could not understand every single word, I understood most. There must have been at least a small amount of teeth gnashing to get this choir together when it was finally assembled.
Ellen Leslie, soprano; Hunter Hall, tenor; and Brady Lloyd, baritone were the soloists. All three were quite good, and I could understand all three. Hunter Hall has an amazing high range, and I thought that Brady Lloyd, the baritone, could almost be classified as a Heldentenor. Ellen Leslie has an absolutely beautiful voice, and she gave a very emotional performance.
I really think the word, emotion, captures the spirit of the entire performance of the Carmina Burana. It is such a terrific experience to see student musicians be so excited about the music they are performing. While their performance was certainly disciplined, they imparted a great sense of spontaneity and excitement about the music. That spontaneity and excitement is abundantly clear to the audience and it has a great effect on how the audience listens and responds to a performance. Gentry, Sailer, Smith, Dickey, and Golan, are all quite gifted at infusing students with enthusiasm and the love for what they do. I was sitting next to a couple of music students in the audience Thursday night, and it was clear that they felt this same excitement as the musicians on stage. That was exciting in itself.
There was, of course, a very well-deserved standing ovation. It is absolutely no exaggeration to say that Professor Joseph Docksey was absolutely beaming with great appreciation and pride. There is no question that the audience was applauding him with great sincerity as well.
Filed under: Reviews | Tags: Brian Ebert, Conrad Kehn, David Kirtley, Hunter Ewen, Jonathan Leathwood, Lejaren Hiller, Rachel Hargroder, Reggie Berg, Richard von Foerster, Sal Martirano, Sarah Johnson, Sonya Yeager-Meeks, Steven Snowden
Friday evening, May 13, was the final performance for the season of the Lamont School’s avant-garde ensemble, The Playground, which was founded five years ago by Conrad Kehn. In many ways I think it was one of the best that I have ever seen and heard because it encompassed so much, as in literature (humorous, but very well written poetry), electronics, good musicianship, and imaginative composition, which was artful.
The first two works on the program were by Steven Snowden, an award-winning composer who has a Masters degree in composition from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and is currently working on his DMA at the University of Texas in Austin. “Steven Snowden (ASCAP) creates music for a diverse array of settings including theater, dance, film, multimedia installations, and the concert stage. He has focused much of his recent work on interdisciplinary collaboration and is quite active as a performer in both acoustic and electronic mediums.”
Snowden’s two works use the poetry by Hilaire Belloc (1872 to 1953), who was born in France but became a naturalized British citizen. He was a very prolific writer in England, as well as an orator, poet, satirist, and political activist. He eventually became a Member of Parliament. He was known as a genuine and compassionate man, even though he had several feuds with those in the British government. He wrote books on several topics and always displayed a remarkable sense of humor, once telling a friend, that “I am now writing a book on the Crusades which is so incredibly dull I can scarcely write it.” One of his best-known works and the work which provided the motivation for Snowden’s composition on Friday evenings program is “Cautionary Tales for Children,” which was written in 1907. As the program notes stated: “Designed for the admonition of children between the ages of eight and 14 years,” these poems tell the stories of several disobedient youths whose actions lead to dire (and often quite morbid) consequences.”
The first of Snowden’s compositions was based on the poem Jim, who ran away from his nurse, and was eaten by a lion. Conrad Kehn, himself, sang the baritone role in this work, which was comprised of Sonya Yeager-Meeks, flute; Brian Ebert, clarinet; Rachel Hargroder, percussion; Reggie Berg, piano; Sarah Johnson, violin; Richard von Foerster, cello; and the conductor was Jonathan Leathwood. Now I must tell you straight away that I had no idea that Conrad Kehn could sing, but he can. And, he has a good sense of drama, as he tells of the young boy’s fate, “And hungrily began to eat / The Boy: beginning at his feet.” Snowden has a wonderful way of writing descriptive music, and, of course the members of this ensemble are excellent: every single one of them. There was no question that they were “attuned” to the drama of the situation, and Snowden even provided cues in the score for them to make slurping noises as the poor lad was devoured by the lion. But you must understand that even though this composition was humorous, the music was quite good. And Snowden’s choice of author was totally inspired.
Matilda, Who told lies, and was burned to death, was the second cautionary tale on the evening’s program, and Snowden chose to have the narration-solo sung by a soprano rather than a baritone. This was fulfilled by Megan Buness, who is a regular member of The Playground. She sang her role well with a doleful tone and baleful demeanor. She does have a very pretty voice but to my way of thinking, her diction leaves a little bit to be desired, as it was difficult to understand her. Nonetheless, the text to both of the poems, Jim and Matilda, were included with the program.
Stephen Snowden wrote some very good music to these two darkly humorous poems, and it is my sincere hope that Playground Ensemble performs more of his works next season. And for those of you who are unfamiliar, as I was, with Hilaire Belloc’s work, I encourage you to find copies of it on the web. While it may not have the artistic quality of Shakespeare, it is good, artistic work, and it is delightfully funny to read.
Postcard From Nagoya, by Reggie Berg, was the next work on the program. I quote from the program notes: “In the summer of 2010, I visited the Nagoya University of The Arts (Nagoya,Japan) for two weeks. During my trip, I began working on a composition for violin and piano, Postcard From Nagoya, to commemorate my astonishing experiences inJapan. Knowing only a morsel of the Japanese language, communication with fellow students and teachers was reduced to an earful of sounds that left me confused! After the initial stage of frustrated hilarity wore off, my compositional brain shouted “Write something using these new sounds!” In my search to musically represent Nagoya, I have written a composition whose main theme resembles one of the Japanese pentatonic scales (D#, E, G#, A#, D); and aims to pay homage to the country’s exotic sounds by exploiting the violin’s beautiful timbre palette. This piece fulfills the 2010 Playground Student Composers Commission made possible by donor, Anne Culver. Sayonara!”
And if there are any of you readers who do not know who Anne Culver is, Google her name. She is a former member of the musicology faculty at the Lamont School of Music and a strong supporter of The Playground.
Let me say at the outset that Reggie Berg is not only a fine composer, but he is a fine pianist as well. It has been about a year since I have heard Sarah Johnson play the violin, and I have always admired her musicality and skill. Reggie Berg’s piece uses five notes, which he describes as a kind of pentatonic scale, but he also points out that it is a different pentatonic scale than what we Americans are accustomed to. And, why not, because it is a group of five notes for the Japanese ear. I must admit, that sometimes I can be really pedantic, because to me, calling something a scale, no matter how many notes it has, indicates that it has a leading tone. In other words, its penultimate note is only a half step away from the final note and leads to that note. Clearly, in the pentatonic “scale” there is no leading tone, so from a stodgy, moldy fig musicologist’s point of view (and that was my academic minor) the pentatonic scale cannot be called a scale. Nonetheless, this was an absolutely gorgeous piece of music built of musical “gestures” from the piano that were answered by the violin. Yes, since the two instruments are so very different, their own gestures were different, but it was still a wonderful conversation back and forth. And Sarah Johnson’s playing always seems to be quite excellent and expressive. And so does Reggie Berg’s. I know that after many concerts where I have heard new music, I have always expressed the opinion that I would like to hear “X” piece again because it was beautiful, or interesting, or somehow captivating. This is a perfect example. This was a good piece performed very well, and I would like to have a recording of it. So there you are, Mr. Berg and Ms. Johnson: get busy and record this piece so that I can listen to it whenever I wish.
After the intermission, The Playground performed a work by Hunter Ewen. To quote from the program notes: “Hunter Ewen is a dynamic [that is an understatement] young composer whose music represents a quirky synergy between virtuosity and the absurd. Originally trained in Mechanical Engineering, Ewen’s music often explores new electroacoustic modalities of composition. Heavily influenced by the “Augmented Reality” movement in science and visual art, Ewen often treats electronics as a mechanism to make live performers bigger, stronger, faster, and louder. Humor and sarcasm abound. His music is often accompanied by multimedia components of his own creation, usually video, visual art, photography, dance, or poetry. Currently, Ewen is pursuing a DMA in Composition at CU-Boulder, where he is the instructor for the introduction to music technology course.”
The title of Hunter Ewen’s composition, a commission by Anne Levy as part of the 2009 Edward Levy Prize at CU-Boulder, is Ohia and Lehua, based on an Hawaiian myth dating back hundreds of years. Think of it as a variation on Romeo and Juliet, or even a variation of the Czech myth that Dvorak used in his tone poem, The Noon Witch. This was another beautiful piece performed on this program, but there will be some who will ask how it could be beautiful. It was. It involved Ewen playing the saxophone (extremely well) with a microphone attached to the bell. The microphone was attached to a computer which had programmed responses to the sound that came from the saxophone. Also, if I understand correctly, the computer was programmed very specifically to respond in specific ways. I must tell you that this brought back memories of my days as a graduate student and faculty member at the University of Illinois, because this kind of technology was exactly what the faculty composers, the late Lejaren Hiller and the late Sal Martirano, were trying to develop back in the 1960s. I could not help but wonder, as I listened to this excellent composition, what Hiller and Martirano would think of this piece if they could hear it.
The piece gradually increased in “size” until it was full of electronic instruments as if it were an orchestra. The sounds were terrific, and many were echoes of the saxophone timbre, not just electronic sounds. The big surprise came when there was a chord which was unusually and surprisingly major (as opposed to minor, not in emphasis) in sound. This work ended with a distinctly pastorale quality which was (probably) an unintended segue to the last work on this concert.
The last piece on the program, Saxifraga, was composed by David Kirtley; again, I will quote from the program notes:
“David Kirtley received his MM in composition (2001) from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He had additional studies in composition at Aspen Music School and Festival in the summers of 2001 and 2002. His music has been performed at the 1998 International Shakuhachi Music Festival, the Colorado New Music Festival, the Aspen Music School and Festival, and at other venues in the U.S. and abroad. David Kirtley resides in Louisville, Colorado with his wife, Mitsumi Moteki.
“My piece, Saxifraga, has nothing to do with saxophones, classical Indian raga, nor, for those whose minds turn in a different direction, with sexy frogs. The word saxifraga is the genus name for a sub-group of flowering plants in – the Saxifrage family. My inspiration for this piece comes from my love of the mountains and their many beautiful wildflowers, among them, the delicate and alluring, brook saxifrage. I hope you will enjoy this music as I endeavor to share with you a small part of my spiritual connection to the solitude and exquisiteness of the mountain wilderness.”
This work was for flute, clarinet, cello, percussion, and piano. Again, Conrad Kehn chose very wisely in his selection for this concert. This was an absolutely beautiful piece of music as its description implies. It was a pastorale in the truest sense. It made full use of the warmest sounds, or timbres, that the instruments involved could make. Indeed, it was almost a nocturne. It was serene and evocative. I am most sincere, when I say that I wished this piece would have gone on forever. I was so captivated by this work, that my notes are incomplete. I simply sat there listening to it. And, in a way, that is the highest compliment that I can give to a composer.
This truly was a terrific closing program for The Playground’s final performance. All of you who read this now have an obligation: investigate the poetry of Hilaire Belloc. I can assure you with great confidence that you will not be disappointed. In all sincerity I applaud The Playground and Conrad Kehn.
Filed under: Reviews | Tags: Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Debussy, Gershwin, Katie Mahan, Liszt, Wagner
Katie Mahan performed Tuesday night, May 10, at the Trinity Presbyterian Church in Arvada. It was a widely appealing selection of works that she performed, and it was particularly enjoyable to hear the seldom played Brahms Variations on an Original Theme, Opus 21. Also on the program was the Beethoven Sonata in F minor, Opus 57, known as the Appassionata, three Chopin études and a nocturne, the Debussy L’isle Joyeuse, a Liszt transcription of Richard Wagner’s Liebestod, and the Three Preludes by George Gershwin.
Katie began her piano studies at the age of four with her mother, Bobette Mahan, and gave her first solo recital at the age of six. She made her orchestral debut in the summer of 1999 with the Breckenridge Symphony performing Gershwin’s Concerto in F, and was subsequently invited for performances of Brahms Concerto in D minor and Ravel’s Concerto in G Major. Katie received her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance Degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder where she was a student of Robert Spillman, graduating with highest honors. Katie was also a protégé of the late Howard Waltz, himself a pupil of the legendary French pianist, Robert Casadesus and has participated in master classes by such musicians as Stanislav Judenitch, Lang Lang, Lori Simms, Nancy Roldan, Simon Trpceski, and Robert McDonald. She has also studied with the renowned French pianist Michel Béroff. Ms. Mahan has performed with orchestras in this country including the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as orchestras inEurope.
She opened her program with the Brahms Opus 21 Variations. From the outset, it was apparent that the piano, a 9 foot Steinway D, needed to be voiced and could have been better tuned. I might add that from where I sat in the audience my line of sight was level with the keyboard, and before Ms. Mahan came out on stage, I noticed that the keys on the keyboard were not at same height. That is due to insufficient regulation of the action. It does not affect the sound, but it does affect the pianist’s ability to do what they wish to do with precision. There is a popular conceit that if the piano makes a sound when the key is pressed, then it is a good piano. Ms. Mahan is a Steinway artist, so I don’t understand why Steinway could not have given her a better piano or one that was better prepared.
Katie Mahan performed the opening theme and the first two variations beautifully, though I thought that the first few measures of the theme were too soft. Brahms does indicate poco forte, not piano. As this work progressed, Ms. Mahan began to take more and more liberties with rubato, to the point where the tempo was distorted. In addition, she began to paddle excessively, not letting up soon enough on the pedal so that the rests, for example in the left-hand of Variation III, were peddled through, and some of Brahms’ incredible harmonies were buried. This pedaling problem continued throughout this work, until I began to wonder if the piano was too big for the hall (or truthfully, the sanctuary of the Trinity Presbyterian Church). Unfortunately, things became quite muddy, and in Variation VIII, the rests and the portato notes in the left-hand simply could not be heard. Was it the piano, or was it the possible inexperience of Ms. Mahan playing in this particular sanctuary? I have often said that when one performs in a hall that they are unaccustomed to, it is quite helpful to have someone sit in the audience during a rehearsal and comment on balance and pedaling. In the forte sections, such as Variation IX, the problem became severe because everything was muddled. In addition, portions of the Brahms were simply too fast, or had extreme tempo changes where Brahms marks espressivo or ritard.
Unfortunately, my criticisms of the Brahms, i.e., too much pedal and a muddy lower register, also applied to the Beethoven. Katie Mahan has a marvelous set of fingers, and it leaves one wondering if there is anything that this young lady cannot play. Frankly, I don’t think there is. But, it often seemed that she was not listening enough to what was coming out of the piano. One must always be a musician first, and a pianist second. For example, in the transition section to the coda of the first movement, Beethoven marks a long ritard, and marks the last four chords of the transition, Adagio. This was beautifully done, and it is an extreme slowing of the tempo (this is also the extreme change of tempo that sometimes took place in the Brahms, where it was not indicated). In the coda, which is marked Più Allegro, it was so loud and there was so much pedal that the alternating chords -left-hand, then right-hand – were simply a mass of sound, and it was very difficult to tell what Beethoven had actually written.
The second movement of this Sonata is an absolutely beautiful theme and variations that increase in intensity, and lead, without pause, to the finale which is quite impassioned. In the second movement, Beethoven has written some of his most beautiful harmonies. It is up to the pianist to make sure that these harmonies are heard in every variation. I would point out to Ms. Mahan that one can be very expressive without gushing. But again, there was so much freedom taken with rubato at the ends of phrases, that one had no sense of architecture for the entire movement. And unfortunately, the same applies to the last movement. For example the coda, which Beethoven most certainly does mark Presto, was taken so fast that it just didn’t make any sense, I don’t think that Ms. Mahan was raising the pedal all the way. The introductory chords to the Presto are certainly marked fortissimo and then sforzando, but following those two chords, Beethoven indicates piano, but it was not played piano. And again, it was over peddled.
I would point out that if Ms. Mahan was working from in urtext (an edition that contains only the markings that Beethoven wrote in the score himself and not an editor’s) edition, that she may well consider that the pedal marks and dynamic markings were perfectly suited to the piano that Beethoven had. However, if he had had a modern piano, I am quite sure that he would’ve changed the markings, perhaps to a considerable point, because a modern piano has so much more sustaining ability, as well as, dynamic power. In addition, I would remind Ms. Mahan that Beethoven is still a composer, no matter how expressive, who is steeped in classical tradition and style. He was beginning to be a crossover composer in some respects, but certainly not in his keyboard sonatas. By crossover composer, I mean from the Classical to the Romantic period. And the Romantic period has very specific aesthetics which place it in that genre. Just because something is expressive, does not mean that it is Romantic. And certainly no period of music, be it Classical or Romantic, can have phrases that turn out to be gush after gush to the abandonment of any kind of architectural structure.
Following the Beethoven, were three Chopin études and the “big” C minor Nocturne Opus 48, Nr. 1. The same problems that I have mentioned in the above pieces were also inherent in the Chopin. The opening étude had too much liberty taken as far as rubato is concerned. The melodic line in the second étude, Opus 25, Nr.12, which is played with the thumb, became obscured by too much pedal, especially in the lower range of the keyboard. Unfortunately, the Nocturne, which certainly does have a large middle section, was almost too bombastic, and it was loud and fast, rather than full and harmonious. The melodic, line in some instances, was simply lost. The same fate was suffered by the last étude. Nicknamed the Revolutionary (not by Chopin), it has relatively difficult left-hand work which drives the piece forward, but it to became mired in over-peddled volume, so that it sounded muddy.
The Debussy L’isle Joyeuse was perhaps the best played piece on the program, though it also occasionally suffered from uncontrolled volume. The Liszt transcription of the Wagner was played as though everything written by Liszt has to be not just fast, but really fast. Where was the music? And I do wish that some of her theatrical motions were smaller.
And I am very sorry to say the Gershwin Three Preludes suffered the same fate.
Katie Mahan cannot have arrived at her present stage in life without being a good pianist. She has excellent memory and a great deal of poise when she strikes a wrong note. She is enviably at home in front of an audience. So I am, quite honestly baffled by the performance Tuesday evening. It may have been too large a piano for the small sanctuary in which she performed. I heard the piano, but I could not hear the music. There would be nothing wrong with having a 7 foot grand in that particular room. Certainly, as I mentioned above, the piano needed some work, and I will state again that Katie Mahan is listed as a Steinway artist, and therefore she deserves something better than she was given Tuesday evening.
Filed under: Reviews | Tags: Aaron Copland, Denver Young Artists Orchestra, Gustavo Dudamel, Joaquín Rodrigo, Jurgen de Lemos, Leonard Bernstein, Ricardo Iznaola
I have heard the Denver Young Artists Orchestra several times over the last few years, and I heard them again Sunday afternoon, May 8. They performed Aaron Copland’s El Salón México, Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, and Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. The Rodrigo guitar concerto featured Ricardo Iznaola who is another member of the fine faculty at the Lamont School of Music.
The DYAO opened the program with the Copland work which everybody must be completely and totally familiar with by now. Copland was one of the first American composers to study in France with Nadia Boulanger and Ricardo Viñes. This famous work was the result of a trip to Mexico where he visited a dance hall with the name El Salón México. It makes use of the popular Mexican dance rhythm called a huapango, which is a measure of 6/8 time followed by a measure of 3/4. This is a very vigorous piece and the DYAO performed it well. Nonetheless, I was a little surprised to see at least three quarters of the orchestra sitting rock still, and moving nothing but their bow arm (or whatever it took to play their particular instrument). Maestro Jurgen de Lemos was, in the meantime, working very hard on the podium, emphasizing the rhythm to the utmost of his ability. The orchestra, however, seemed totally uninspired by this piece of music which is quite good. Yes, they played it well, but it could have been so much better because they are capable of playing so much better, as in full of life and excitement. There were a few funny spots where one section of the orchestra wasn’t quite with another section, but I would be most willing to overlook those little glitches if only the orchestra members looked interested. I assure you that some did. I do not think that I expect too much from this orchestra even though they are young musicians. They have worked hard to be accepted in this organization, and it seems a little unusual that there seemed to be no excitement in performing from most of them.
Following the Copland was the very popular Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar and orchestra by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901 to 1999). This concerto is so popular that it has eclipsed other works that Rodrigo has written, let alone all of the other guitar concertos by (and this is a very small list) Carulli, Molino, Vivaldi, Giuliani,Ponce, Tedesco, Villa-Lobos, and Arnold. Those of you who have not heard the Rodrigo Concerto are missing a great work, and those of you who have never heard Ricardo Iznaola perform are missing one of the great guitarists. I am quite serious when I say that there is not enough room on this blog site to list his honors and awards from the world over. He is also an accomplished composer which, much to my chagrin, I just discovered a couple of weeks ago. In 2004, he was awarded the John Evans Distinguished Professorship, the highest distinction bestowed by the University of Denver. Trust me: we are indeed fortunate to have him here in Denver, because he could be anywhere he chooses.
In the Rodrigo, the orchestra seemed to perk up a little, and be more excited about the performance of this piece. There was some very good clarinet work in the first movement. I could not see the clarinet section from where I was sitting, but I am sure that it came from Stephen Chen. I hope that I am correct. Iznaola’s playing was absolutely perfect in this piece, displaying his formidable technique and wonderful musicality. And I kept wondering how many times he has performed this work. I know that this was the second time I have heard him play it, and he certainly did not seem to be tired of performing it. There is a wonderful conversation between the guitar and English horn in the second movement followed by a lengthy cadenza which leads to a surprisingly quiet closing after some turbulence. Even though I have a recording of this piece, I have never seen the score, and I have never been able to put my finger on what it is that is so appealing in the last movement. But Iznaola’s clarity in this performance made clear that there is a “fight” between 2/4 and 3/4 meter in this movement as well as some very solid counterpoint. Iznaola’s intensity highlighted the contrast between the outer two movements, which are very light and almost carefree, and the incredible passion and sadness of the second movement. Quite frankly, I think that it speaks volumes of his artistic ability to perform this piece, because I am quite sure that he is played it many, many times. There was no complacency due to familiarity.
After the concerto by Rodrigo, the audience, with good reason, demanded an encore. Therefore, members of the orchestra, Concertmaster Emily Switzer, Sarah Ervin, Second Violin, Kasey Pickard, Viola, and Jurgen de Lemos, cello, with Ricardo Iznaola on guitar, performed a Boccherini work for string quartet and guitar with Tracy Fielder playing castanets. This was a very charming piece and, of course, performed very well, and was somewhat refreshing after the seriousness of the Rodrigo. I would like to point out that the young lady, Sarah Ervin, played very expressively and very enthusiastically.
After the intermission the DYAO performed the Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. This is from a brilliant musical by Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents, and Stephen Sondheim. This musical was so popular when it came out, and its quality so obvious, that there wasn’t a person in the audience, and I’ll bet amongst all you readers, who is unfamiliar with it. It ties in with the previous Latin American and Spanish works because the gangs involved in the musical were Puerto Rican. There are nine pieces in this suite, and number four is entitled Mambo: Presto. I point to this one on purpose, for this is another example where the DYAO performed well, and where Maestro Jurgen de Lemos worked very hard to get the orchestra excited. But again, I was left with the feeling that most of the orchestra needs to understand that sometimes working hard to make music pays off. And I am not at all speaking about practicing hard, because it is apparent that everyone in this orchestra does. But it sometimes seems that they believe it is impolite to demonstrate that they like the music. I am not suggesting by any means, that everyone in the orchestra makes such extravagant movements and motions as, for example, the pianist Lang Lang. But it would be very helpful, I think, if they would be a little bit more lively, rather than just sitting and moving nothing but their bow arms. Consider, for example, the fourth piece in the suite entitled Mambo. I have not done this before but I’m going to include a link which I hope all of you readers will follow. It leads to a YouTube site where Gustavo Dudamel is conducting the Youth Orchestra of Venezuela as they perform Bernstein’s Mambo. I am not suggesting that the DYAO stand up as they shout “mambo,” but I am suggesting that such demonstrative enthusiasm and love for the music would improve an already very good orchestra. The Youth Orchestra of Venezuela is the same age group as the DYAO. Here is the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yjCFnKuBJQ&feature=related
Another example of this orchestra’s enthusiasm for the music is in a performance of Arturo Marquez’ Danzon Nr. 2. If you follow this link, the enthusiasm of this Youth Orchestra is unmistakable. This link is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vwZAkfLKK8&feature=related
Please do not misunderstand the point that I am trying to make. Maestro Jurgen de Lemos was working very hard, as it is clear that he loves what he is doing. And there were many in the orchestra who shared his enthusiasm, but the majority simply looked bored to tears. I would also point out that some of the community orchestras in the Denver Metro area also suffer from the same lack of spirit. There is often no evidence of any excitement whatsoever or love for the music.
The DYAO is a fine orchestra that plays well. They have the capacity to be truly excellent.
Filed under: Reviews | Tags: Adam Flatt, Bach, Bryan Scafuri, George Gershwin, Justin Morgan, Kathy Thayer, Kim Brody, Manny Araujo, Thomas Canning, William Schumann
Last evening, Friday, May 6, the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra presented its last performance of the season, conducted, of course, by Maestro Adam Flatt, and featuring the DPO’s oboist, Kim Brody, playing Johann Sebastian Bach’s rare Concerto for Oboe d’Amore in A Major, BWV 1055. This was the first season for Maestro Adam Flatt, who took over the DPO after a fairly lengthy period of searching. There is no question that the DPO made a very wise choice when they offered him the position. He has conducted all over the United States and in Europe, and we inDenver are very fortunate that he is also the Principal Conductor of the Colorado Ballet, as well as Principal Conductor of the Emerald City Opera in Steamboat Springs. And, in an article published in the Tuscaloosa News on April 21, it was announced that Maestro Flatt is now the conductor of the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra. But do not fear, for he is still going to maintain his conducting appointments here in Colorado and in Oregon. This should not be a surprise to anyone who has heard the DPO, the Colorado Ballet, or any of the operas that he has conducted. He has the genuine artistic ability to make every orchestra he conducts sound better than they have previously.
Maestro Flatt opened the program with New England Triptych by American composer William Schuman. William Schuman (1910 to 1992) is an American composer who, unfortunately, is being forgotten by many orchestras and musicians. At one time in the ‘30s and ‘40s particularly, his third Symphony, for example, was as well known as those of Howard Hanson and Aaron Copland. It may be because he used American themes, historic as well as musical, for the subjects of his compositions, and many critics feel that that is a little déclassé. New England Triptych is based on hymn tunes written by William Billings (1746 to 1800), however, when I say “based on,” I do not neccessarily mean literally copied or used for a musical variation. Schumann tried to create the mood established by Billings in his hymns. Each movement of this triptych involves one particular hymn. The first is entitled Be Glad Then, America, and was given a wonderful forward movement by Maestro Flatt and the orchestra. There was also, aside from the reference to Billings’ hymn, a fugue in the middle section. The orchestra did quite well with this piece which opened with a very soft timpani solo performed by Steve Bulota. The second movement of this triptych is entitled When Jesus Wept, which begins with an almost exact quote of the Billings hymn, but then, through what seemed to me to be melodic extensions, becomes a very sad and lyrical variation. The third movement of the triptych is entitled Chester, which I’m sure many people in the audience recognized, for it has been used by other American composers, and was a well-known marching hymn used by the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. The DPO performed this entire work as though they felt a real kinship with it. They never played in a bombastic way even in the march, and seemed constantly aware that this triptych was based on hymns. Of course, that is the kind of expression that they have become accustomed to producing under the leadership of Adam Flatt.
Next on the program was J.S. Bach’s Oboe Concerto, BWV 1055, performed by Ms. Kim Brody on the oboe d’amore. I’m sure that all of you are aware that the oboe is a double reed instrument that is capable of some real volume, and has a particular sound that can cut through an orchestra quite well. The oboe d’amore is a larger oboe with a pear-shaped bell which softens the instrument. Most musicologists agree that it was developed probably around 1720, but since then, as orchestras became larger and instruments became stronger, the oboe d’amore fell out of use, to be replaced by the standard oboe. And indeed, Friday night it was most noticeable, because Ms. Brody easily produced a very warm sound on the instrument, without the usual bite (and I do not say that disparagingly) of a regular oboe.
The full title of the oboe concerto that Ms. Brody so beautifully performed Friday night is Harpsichord Concerto Nr. 4 in A Major (or for oboe d’amore) BWV 1055. It was written in 1738 and 1739. Bach was in the habit of rearranging his harpsichord concertos for other instruments, and the reason for this is still, unfortunately, unclear. It is also unfortunate that the original harpsichord version of this concerto is lost, and some scholars believe that it was the last harpsichord concerto to have been arranged for another instrument. This is an absolutely marvelous piece that still shows some harpsichord influence in its textures. Ms. Brody and Maestro Flatt gave the first movement a wonderful forward momentum with the rhythmic emphasis that is so necessary and typical in the works of J.S. Bach. The incredible tone that she produced certainly matched the small string orchestra that was performing with her. And, I might add, that the orchestra seemed to be completely empathetic with her musicality and style of performing this piece. Did I point out that she is also a member of the DPO? They are very fortunate to have her as a member of the orchestra. The second movement of this A major concerto seems to me to “flirt” with the key of F sharp minor (which, of course, is related to A Major) and there were instances where I thought I was listening to a chaconne. But, keep in mind, that this is the first time I have ever heard this concerto, so if I am incorrect about this, my apologies go to Ms. Brody and to Mr. Bach. This movement, in particular, seems to have some of the most seamless interaction between soloist and ensemble that I’ve heard for quite a while. It was a beautiful performance. The last movement is a typical Bach fast movement: exuberant, and yet, full of charm. Again, Kim Brody excelled. She is a totally reliable musician who knows clearly what she is doing in every single measure. There was no hint of uncertainly anywhere in her playing. But then, why should there be? She is an enormously experienced performer who has played with orchestras all over the country. It was a real treat to hear a concerto that is so very seldom performed.
Thomas Canning (1911 to 1989) is an obscure American composer who was a hymnist and composer. His work, Fantasy on a Hymn Tune by Justin Morgan, was performed after the Bach Friday night. Mr. Canning was educated at Oberlin College and the Eastman School of Music. He studied with the Norman Lockwood and Howard Hanson, both of whom are well-known American composers. Canning was also a member of the Hymn Society of America. Justin Morgan, whose hymn tune Canning uses in this fantasy was also a hymnist, but today he is probably best known for breeding the Morgan horse.
This work by Canning is the first composition that I have ever heard of his. It was very calm in mood and used typical harmonies that one hears from Aaron Copland, Howard Hanson and Norman Lockwood. It struck me as being a rather bland piece, and I wondered just where it was headed next. It seemed to revolve around beautiful harmonies, and of course, one could hear the melody and surmise that it was the melody used originally by Justin Morgan. However, this did not dissuade me from being a little indifferent to it. I must say, however, that the performance of this piece was very lush, and again, the orchestra seemed to present this in a very personal way, as if they were feeling the music themselves. There were two fine solos, violin and cello, performed Friday night by Kathy Thayer, who is the concertmaster of the DPO, and Bryan Scafuri, who is the principal cellist.
The DPO performed George Gershwin’s delightful and familiar tone poem, American in Paris, as the last piece on the program. I strongly believe that Gershwin is still an underrated composer. Part of this may be due to the fact that since his compositions involved jazz themes and styles, and the fact that his opera, Porgy and Bess, was regarded by so many as a musical and not an opera, this had a decided influence on his reputation. But it was Walter Damrosch, the conductor of the New York Phil, who wanted to promote this young American composer after his overwhelming success with the Concerto in F and Rhapsody in Blue. I really believe that American in Paris is a true tone poem because it was inspired by totally extra-musical considerations: the sites, the sounds, the smells of Paris, and even Gershwin’s homesickness while he was there. Flatt and the DPO imbued this work with the necessary rhythmic excitement and drive that everyone is familiar with when they hear this work. The middle section, with its sad trumpet solo has always reminded me, because it is so similar, to the aria, “Bess, you is my woman now,” from Porgy and Bess. And of course, Manny Araujo, who is the principal trumpet for the DPO, was beyond excellent. Put quite simply, he never seems to make any mistakes, and he always plays with a remarkable sensitivity.
This was an excellent concert. I am extremely pleased to tell you that the DPO has improved considerably under the direction of Maestro Adam Flatt. It is truly a noticeable change. Yes, there are still some problems with some of the sections playing out of tune, and there were some spots Friday night. But that is progressing to the point where it may not be noticeable to the general public at large. There were some excellent solos Friday night by the section leaders, and the woodwind section, in particular, is always superb. As Adam Flatt said Friday night, “The Denver Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the treasures of the Denver Metro area.”
