Filed under: Reviews | Tags: Bill Hill and Friends, Nadya Hill, Neil Haverstick, Reggie Berg, Rich Chiaraluce, Ron Bland, William Hill
Sunday evening, the 20th, I went down to the Crossroads Theater on Washington Street to hear Bill Hill and Friends, which is a local jazz quintet organized by William Hill. This theater is a perfect spot for a jazz concert: it is small and intimate, seating about eighty to one hundred people. One can also buy wine and beer before, during, or after the performance. The audience that was in attendance that evening was made up of jazz diehards who knew what to expect from this completely remarkable quintet. What follows, is a short bio of each member of Bill Hill and Friends.
As most of you should know by now William Hill is the Principal Timpanist with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. He has held that position since 1980. He also teaches Composition and Counterpoint at the University of Denver Lamont School of Music. The Colorado Symphony and the Lamont Symphony Orchestra have performed his compositions more than 50 times. They have also been performed by orchestras throughout the United States, several new music festivals in the United States, and also in Europe. He also holds the coveted Performers Certificate from the prestigious Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University.
Ron Bland is the bass player, both acoustic and electric, for this jazz ensemble. Mr. Bland is on the music faculty of Metropolitan State College of Denver, the University of Colorado at Denver, and the Colorado School of Mines. He has performed with Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson, Eddie Daniels, Billy Taylor, and Doc Severinson. He is also a regular in the pit orchestras for Broadway shows, as well as appearing with the Colorado Symphony and the Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestras.
Rich Chiaraluce is the woodwind musician with the William Hill Jazz Quintet, and when I say woodwind, I mean everything; flute, clarinet, and all of the saxophones. His professional life began to hit its stride when he was in the Navy School of Music and came to Colorado Springs to play with the NORAD band in 1967. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in music education from the University of Northern Colorado. Rich has played lead alto sax with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Woody Herman, Bobby Shew, Red Rodney, Carl Fontana, and Don Menza. In addition, he has performed with Mel Tormé, Tony Bennett, Nancy Wilson, and Natalie Cole. He has played with the Colorado Symphony Pops, and he teaches jazz at the University of Northern Colorado.
Reggie Berg, keyboard, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Composition from the University of Denver while studying with composers Chris Malloy, William Hill, and Conrad Kehn. He also studied at The Eastman School of Music with Bill Dobbins, Harold Danko, and Tony Caramia; Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University – Bloomington with Luke Gillespie. Also in demand as an accompanist, his collaborative sensitivity has brought him opportunities with Colorado’s finest performers such as Brian Ebert, Richard VonFoerster, and Lawrence Golan. These performances have highlighted a busy schedule of accompanying over 20 instrumental and vocal recitals at the University of Denver. While a student at the University of Denver, Berg was awarded the Outstanding Jazz Studies Major.
Neil Haverstick plays guitar with this Quintet. He is also known as an author, teacher, and as a composer, he is one of the major composers in the United States of microtonal music (An octave consists of 12 tones). A microtonal system can have as many tones as the composer wishes – even as many as 36 tones per octave. His compositions have been performed in Denver, Prague, Brno, New York, Los Angeles, The Hague, Seattle, Albuquerque, and El Paso. He has also written two music theory books: 19 Tones: A New Beginning and The Form of No Forms. He has given seminars at universities around the United States, and the prestigious magazine, International Musician, has listed him as a pioneer of microtonal music in the United States.
Nadya Hill has degrees in violin performance and voice performance from the University of Michigan, both summa cum laude. She has been playing violin as long as she can remember, and has performed in public since the age of 4. While studying violin at the university, Nadya became aware of her passion for the vocal repertoire, and began her vocal studies at age 19. She was accepted to the University of Michigan’s Vocal department nine months later. Ms. Hill has performed in recitals and with orchestras across the United States, and in numerous European countries. She is comfortable in a wide range of musical styles from classical to jazz and ethnically-influenced music. Nadya just returned to the US after teaching English for nine months in Rome, and since coming back, has enjoyed discovering a new passion for performing jazz. Her favorite flavour of gelato is cocco.
Every time I hear this jazz quintet perform, I am immediately struck, again and again, by the fact that these are all consummate musicians. All five of them have music skills that are so deeply ingrained, that it allows them to perform together, with all of the anticipations that are necessary in improvisation, in a very natural way. There is a sixth (!) new member of this jazz quintet, and that is Nadya Hill. I don’t know if she is an “official” member of the group yet, but I sincerely hope that she is. She demonstrates a startling casualness on stage, not only when she sings, but while she was waiting for her cues. Once she begins to sing, one quickly realizes that this casualness is brought on by her confidence in her ability, and the obvious love of what she is doing. I have written about her before, when I reviewed the CD, entitled Bill Hill and Friends, but her appearance on that CD was all too brief.
The Bill Hill and Friends opened their concert with Chromatic Sunsets which, I must admit, is one of my favorite compositions of Bill Hill’s. And, yes, nearly all of the works performed Sunday evening were composed by Bill Hill. Frankly, that gives this group an edge over many other jazz groups that I can think of, simply because Bill Hill is such a fine composer, not only of jazz, but of “serious” music as well – or concert music, if it pleases you to think of it in those terms. But I assure you, that when I use the word serious, I am certainly not trying to imply that jazz is not serious, because all of you readers know that it is a true art form unto itself. It takes as much skill to become a good jazz musician as it does the concert pianist, a classical composer, or a conductor. And, that is what sets this group apart: they have done it.
It is amazing to listen to the exchange that goes on between these musicians during the concert. Every measure of it is so incredibly sophisticated. Reggie Berg (who is also a composer) has the same facility that the late Oscar Peterson possessed. He does not try to mimic Peterson, and to be sure Berg has his own style, but it is just as sophisticated and astounding. I was continually amazed when Rich Chiaraluce took his riffs, especially those with Nadya Hill. He would play a few notes, and Nadya would mimic him. Their “duet” in Banderas Bay was truly something to behold. To be sure, this is what jazz musicians do, but many do not have the skill and aplomb that was apparent on Sunday. Their musicianship always shows. And it pleases me to point out, that even though this was, perhaps, the second time that Nadya Hill has performed with the group, they showed great appreciation for what she did and could do. Rich was constantly admiring her ability in the give-and-take between the two of them, as clearly evidenced by the smiles that were exchanged. It was also interesting to see how many times Chiaraluce would insert a little Gershwin into his riffs.
In the work, Bad Boys, everybody gets to take a riff. To describe Ron Bland’s playing as superb simply doesn’t describe it and properly categorize it. In fact, one can read the short bio statement, which is indicative, at the beginning of this article, and still not realize his ability. You simply have to hear it. I have heard Bad Boys in other concerts, and it is on their CD, but it always surprises me when the rhythm totally changes. The ease with which everyone changes is what generates the surprise. It comes not just from performing experience, but from long performing experience playing together.
Neil Haverstick, who plays guitar with the group, takes some of the most sophisticated and distant improvisations, or riffs, that I have heard for a very long time. They are always on the edge, but you can always hear relationships. He, too, is a composer, and it shows every single time he plays.
Banderas Bay, Remembering Manfredo, and In Your Imagination: these are pieces that were performed by all of these musicians Sunday with such total confidence in each other. These musicians were totally aware of what the other was doing, and, it seemed to me, totally aware of what the other wanted to do.
Many people, today, still have the view of jazz musicians as being those who “play by ear,” and do very little else. According to that conceit, they don’t have to read music, because they do “play by ear.” Of course, that is utter nonsense, and the reason some jazz musicians have lasted through the ages is because they are better jazz musicians. I can guarantee you that in today’s world there are some rock musicians who do not know how to read music, and I have heard them make that admission. But, what sets jazz and rock apart, is that jazz musicians may have begun by playing in a garage band, but they learned music completely and thoroughly. Oscar Peterson, who I mentioned above, had a DMA from the Toronto Conservatory. The members of The Modern Jazz Quartet all taught at universities and colleges in New York City.
All the members of this jazz quintet, even the sixth (!), are teachers who know their craft well. They are outstanding performers, composers, and musicians. If you ask them to analyze the scherzo from Beethoven’s Symphony Nr. 7, they could do it in a heartbeat. I can think of a few rock musicians who might even ask who Beethoven is. My point is this: this professionalism and flawless musicianship is what sets Bill Hill and Friends apart from many of the jazz groups in the United States. Even if you don’t care for jazz, and I do, one has to be stunned by the quality of these musicians. There is no question that this was the best performance they have given – it was world class.
You simply must hear them play.
Filed under: Reviews | Tags: Austin Wintory, Brahms, Brian Patrick Leatherman, Devin Hughes, Janet St. John, Nora Golden, Teresa Castillo, Thomas Fitzpatrick-Kittle
Saturday, May 19, the Cherry Creek Chorale and the Boulder Symphony, both under the baton of Maestro Devin Hughes, presented a program at the Bethany Lutheran Church on East Hampden. Two works were performed: Inter, which is the middle movement of a larger work entitled The Existence Trilogy, by composer Austin Wintory, and the well-known German Requiem by Johannes Brahms.
I will quote briefly from the program notes concerning the conductor of the Cherry Creek Chorale and composer Austin Wintory:
“The Artistic Director of the Cherry Creek Chorale, Brian Patrick Leatherman, now in his 17th year with the chorale, leads a multifaceted life as a conductor, teacher, singer, and clinician… He is active as a choral clinician and adjudicator. Mr. Leatherman has appeared as a tenor and counter-tenor soloist with the San Juan Symphony, National Repertoire Orchestra, Colorado Springs Symphony, Greeley Philharmonic, Aurora Symphony, and many more.… He holds the BME and the MM degree, with emphasis in choral conducting, from Colorado State University, and cites as his two greatest influences Barbara Grenoble in pedagogy, and Robert Shaw in choral work.”
“Starting from a childhood obsession with the music of Jerry Goldsmith, Austin Wintory’s passion for composing has led to a career spanning over 200 productions, encompassing films and video games, TV shows, commercials, shorts, podcasts, video art installations, and audio books. Austin has scored over twenty-five feature films, most notably the 2009 Sundance hit, Grace, as well as the 2008 Sundance Audience Award winner, Captain Abu Raed. In addition to feature films, Austin has a tremendous passion for the world of games scoring. Austin maintains a busy schedule writing concert music, and composing/producing albums. Wintory is the composer in residence with the Boulder Symphony.
“Concerning the middle movement, Inter, of The Existence Trilogy, Wintory states that ‘Inter, with its intentional double meaning of ‘between’ and ‘bury,’ is Death. It speaks of the moment of death and the souls achieving, for the first time, actual contentedness.’ “
This work is for orchestra and women’s chorus. It also calls for two soloists: an alto and a soprano. The alto soloist was Janet St. John, and the soprano soloist was Nora Golden. Wintory’s composition is a very attractive piece with harmonies that will not infringe on the ears of the average concertgoer, even though the work is new and makes use of modern harmonies. The complete work was premiered just last October. It reminds me a little of the composer Veljo Tormis, or perhaps Tarik O’Regan. It was very smooth and diaphanous without excessive rhythmic punctuation. The orchestra has improved since the last time I heard it. The strings were more in tune at this performance; however, it was the choir that, quite frankly, left me wanting. I could not understand any of the words they were singing, and even the soloists lacked good diction. I tried following along with the text which was in the program, but I simply couldn’t do it: there was no way to tell where, in the text, the choir was. And, unfortunately, that included the soloists as well. Good voices? Yes, without a doubt, but it would have been very nice to understand the words.
A great deal has been written about the Brahms German Requiem, so much, that I am not going to go into it here. Suffice it to say that he was fairly young to have written such an enormous piece (age 35), and, that it initially caused a great deal of upset amongst Brahms’ fellow composers, as well as the public. Even Max Bruch, in some of his letters, complains that Brahms used such complicated harmony that it was difficult to follow the piece. In addition, many people complained that a Requiem should contain the expected liturgical texts. Many sources avoid coming straight out and saying that Brahms was certainly agnostic, and quite possibly an atheist. Be that as it may, there is no question that this huge work had a strong influence on Brahms’ acceptance in the musical world as a major composer. There is also no question that it is an absolutely beautiful piece of music.
Several years ago, I attended a performance of Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem. It was sung in French, but the diction was severely lacking from the choir and even the soloists. When I wrote that in my review, I was taken to task for being too pedantic. I received a letter stating that, “Of course, you couldn’t understand it. No one in the audience could understand it because it was sung in French.” I, of course, take exception to that. I am quite sure there were several people in huge audience who knew French, myself included. Secondly, it is a very lazy attitude to take in excusing one’s mistakes. The point of this, unfortunately, is that the same problem existed in Saturday’s performance of the Brahms. Many audiences do excuse the fact that the words that a choir or soloists sing cannot be understood. Yes, the music is incredibly beautiful, but it was very difficult to follow the text which was printed in the program. I do not know how many rehearsals the choir had, but, certainly, I bow to the fact that the two ensembles, the choir and the orchestra, may have had only three rehearsals. That is the usual procedure. But, it also means that both organizations have to be ready for those three rehearsals. In addition, when one is performing a work in which a large chorus is used, extra time at the rehearsals must be spent just on diction, as it becomes more problematic because of the numbers involved. I congratulate the Cherry Creek Chorale for singing this impressive work in its original language, but I could hear no distinct German syllables.
Soon after, there arose another problem. In Movement III, there is a fugue with great rhythmic drive and emphasis. The orchestra provided the necessary drive and rhythmic direction, but the choir simply refused, on their entrances, to reciprocate: no accents and no drive; therefore, the third movement which provides a very dramatic moment in the entire work because of this fugue, was left sounding amorphous. This occurred in other movements as well, particularly Movement V and Movement VI.
There were moments in this performance where Maestro Hughes seemed to be concentrating on conducting the choir alone, in an effort to get them to respond to his direction. That can often be the case when an orchestra and a choir are being conducted at the same time. Normally, the orchestra, while certainly not being left to fend for themselves, must have enough musicianship to remember their own rehearsals and listen to the music that they are making. Occasionally, this did not work, as there were instances where a section of the orchestra would make its entrance much too loudly, and cover the choir. Saturday evening, the most consistent offenders in this regard seemed to be the low brass. They also suffered often from not being in tune with each other.
This work requires a baritone solo and a soprano. The soprano was Teresa Castillo, who is currently working on her Master’s degree at the University of Denver. She has had several operatic roles, and she performs with the Central City Opera. She has an absolutely beautiful voice, and it is big. But, it is my sincere hope that she will devote more time to diction.
The baritone soloist was Thomas Fitzpatrick-Kittle. He graduated from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music with many awards and scholarships. He has competed in many vocal competitions, has performed several operatic roles, and placed fifth in the Denver Lyric Opera Guild’s annual vocal competition. His voice is perfectly suited for a work such as the Brahms: it is huge, and has exactly the right quality. But, again, I could not understand a word that he sang.
There was a standing ovation at the end of the evening, and I am quite sure that the majority of the audience was thoroughly impressed with the beauty of the music and the size of the effort, as well they should be. But, I found myself wondering if the audience could understand the words, or even if they were listening for them. I also wonder if anyone in the audience heard the phrases that were begun in the orchestra, but were not continued by the choir as they should have been. I, likewise, wondered, if, at rehearsals, anyone was placed “in the hall” to listen for diction and balance between the orchestra and the choir, or any of the subtle nuances that separate an execution of music from a really fine performance.
I have heard at least three live performances of the Brahms Requiem previous to Saturday’s. I know that it is possible to have a large choir and soloists be clear in their enunciation. After hearing Saturday’s performance, I wonder how many people think that it is not.
Filed under: Reviews | Tags: .Matt Bentley, Ashley Hoffman, Brock Erickson, Chrysostem Frank, Cynthia Henning, Erik Angerhofer, Gregory Robbins, Haydn, Jennifer Grotpeter, Margaret Gutierrez, Matthew Dane, MB Krueger, Mintze Wu, Mozart, Silver Ainomäe, St. Andrew's Epsicopal Church Choir, Te Deum, The Peak Performances Chamber Series, The Seven Last Words, Timothy Jrueger
I am always surprised when I attend a performance that is exceptional in every way, but there are so few people in the audience to appreciate it. I attended a performance late Saturday afternoon, May 19, at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church, that was so outstanding that it took me completely by surprise, even though I have learned to expect great things from the Peak Performances Chamber Series.
Violist, Matthew Dane, founded the Peak Performances Chamber Series, and at this concert performed the Seven Last Words of our Savior on the Cross, Opus 51, by Franz Joseph Haydn. There are nine sections to this work, and they are as follows:
Introduction
I. Father forgive them, for they know not what they do
II. Today you will be with me in Paradise
III. Behold your son; Behold your mother
IV. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
V. I thirst
VI. It is finished
VII. Father, into your hands I commend my spirit
The Earthquake
Haydn received a commission to write this orchestral work by the Bishop, José Saluz de Santamaria who was also the Marquès de Valde-Inigo, at the Cathedral of Cádiz in Spain for the Good Friday services. However, it must be realized that this was not to be performed in the actual Cathedral, but in the grotto Santa Cueva built underground as part of the Parrish of Rosario in 1756. Religious services were held in the grotto. (Hoboken, volume 1, page 845). This bishop asked a friend of his to contact Haydn in Vienna, explaining in detail the religious exercises and the part that the music should have in them. The above sections that are prefaced by Roman numerals were to contain the music, and in between each of those sections the seven words (or sentences) were to have a sermon or discourse delivered upon them. As he finished each discourse, the bishop would leave the pulpit and kneel before the altar in prayer, while the music was being performed. If the performance of this composition was not done in the grotto, then the walls, windows, and pillars of the church proper were to be covered with black cloth so as to darken the room for the solemn ceremony.
Haydn began this composition in 1786 while he was enormously busy conducting opera performances – he conducted 125 performances at Eszterháza in 1786 – in addition to writing three of his “Paris” Symphonies. He finished the Seven Last Words in 1787, and its first performance was on April 8th of that year. We also know that Haydn had difficulty maintaining the ten minute time limit given to him by the bishop, and Haydn asked him if he could exceed that, to which the bishop readily agreed. We also know that Haydn’s friend Abbé Stadler (who was with Haydn at the time of the commissioning) later confirmed the truth of the tradition that Haydn himself considered this “the very finest of all his works.” The orchestral music (a small chamber orchestra, to be sure) was arranged for string quartet by Haydn, and for organ by Michael Haydn, Franz Joseph’s brother, as Franz Joseph Haydn did not play the organ well, but Michael was quite a good performer.
The performers Friday afternoon were, of course, Matthew Dane, Viola; Margaret Soper Gutierrez, violin; MinTze Wu, violin; and Silver Ainomäe, cello. I point out that Mr. Ainomäe was performing this incredibly difficult work for the first time, filling in for Ann Marie Morgan who fell ill just a few days before the performance. Dr. Gregory Robbins gave the discourse in between each of the musical sections of this work. Dr. Robbins is Associate Professor of Christian Origins, a sub–discipline of Religious Studies devoted to the study of the history, language, and literature of early Christianity. He also serves as chair of the Department of Religious Studies. Dr. Robbins received his M. Div. Degree from Yale University and his Ph.D. in Early Church History from Duke University. He has taught at the University of Denver since 1988.
Dr. Robbins’ provided the meditation and illumination of the Seven Last Words, and I have no doubt that his elucidation fit the framework of what Haydn had in mind.
It has been a while since I have heard such an amazingly polished performance. Judging by this group’s desire for artistic excellence, I am sure there were things they wished they could have done better: everyone who performs always wants to give that “perfect” performance. But I assure you, that this was as close to that as I have heard in several years. There was a remarkable dynamic range, and no matter whether they were playing as soft as they could, or a good solid fortissimo, the violins had a wonderfully sweet and mellow sound. I was also struck by how matched everyone’s sound was, and that is the hallmark of a very good ensemble. This is one of the reasons that the old Budapest Quartet was so exceptional, and likewise the Beaux Arts Trio. I could not help but notice that Dane and Ainomäe, even though one is a cellist and the other a violist, were both using the same length of the bow on their portato bowings, and seemed to be using the same amount of effort in the beginning of each phrase. Of course their bowings were together (bowing in the same direction), but their manner of approach was the same. That also applies to the first and second violins. Attacks and releases were remarkably together. If I closed my eyes during this performance, it truly sounded as if one person was playing all four instruments.
All seven of these sonatas (and they are all in the sonata form) are extremely dramatic, and there is no question that these four musicians really understood and felt the drama taking place. This was truly performance cooperation and a shared musical desire, the likes of which I have not seen for some time.
The Peak Performance Chamber Series ensemble closed the program with Mozart’s Te Deum in C Major, K. 141. Chrysostom Frank provided an introduction to this work. He is the Pastor of Saint Elizabeth and SS Cyril and Methodius. He has been the pastor of the community since 2002 and the faculty member at the St. John Vianney Theological Seminary for the Archdiocese of Denver since 1999. He received his M. Div. from the Nashotah House theological seminary and his Ph.D. in Ecclesiastical History from the University of St. Andrews, Scotland.
Mozart wrote the Te Deum shortly before he set off on his Italian journeys, and it dates from the end of 1769. This piece really seems to rely on source material from the Te Deum that Michael Haydn wrote in 1760, though it is certainly a Mozart composition, including the double fugue at the end. Members of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Choir joined the Peak Performances Chamber ensemble for the Te Deum. They were sopranos Cynthia Henning and Ashley Hoffman; altos Jennifer Grotpeter and MB Krueger; tenors Matt Bentley and Brock Ericsson; and basses Eric Angerhofer, and Timothy Krueger.
Mozart’s composition is extremely spirited and joyful. It was a terrific way to end the program, and once again, the ensemble was in perfect balance with entrances and phrasing beyond compare. Timothy Krueger, who conducts the St. Andrew’s Choir, has the same musical enthusiasm, dedication, and passion that the Peak Performances Chamber Ensemble possesses.
This was, without a doubt, a world-class performance. It was polished and secure, and as is typical of the Peak Performances Chamber Series and the Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church Choir, very well prepared and professional. And, I assure you, the effort put in by both groups and their “polish” did not detract from the emotional impact of this music. It was a wonderful performance.
Filed under: Reviews | Tags: Aaron Wille, Adam Flatt, Bryan Scafuri, David Wallace, Denver Philharmonic Orchestra, Max Bruch, Russell Klein, Saint-Saens, Sibelius, Walter Piston
Saturday night, May 12, was the final performance of this season given by the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra. Throughout this season, this orchestra has truly led the way in innovative programming. They performed works which are excellent, but which no other orchestra in the Denver Metro area has performed in recent memory. In doing so, they have given the concert audience (and their audience keeps growing all the time) a glimpse into the depths of concert literature, aside from the popular works which have such mass appeal. The compositions and composers that the DPO performs most certainly do have mass appeal, but this seems to be the only orchestra with a conductor, Maestro Adam Flatt, who is adventurous enough, and who cares enough to perform these works. I think the concert going public owes recognition to the DPO for leading the way in this regard.
The Denver Philharmonic Orchestra opened its program Saturday night with a suite from the ballet The Incredible Flutist by American composer, Walter Piston (1894 – 1976) (Someone needs to proofread the programs a little more carefully, especially for composer’s dates.). He was one of many American composers in the mid-20th century who eventually found his way to Paris to study with Nadia Boulanger and Paul Dukas, even though early in life his main interest was painting. His early lessons in piano and violin prevailed, however, and after World War I he entered Harvard University where he began his first serious study in music. Maestro Adam Flatt was most certainly correct in his pre-concert comments about each work to be performed that night, when he said that one of Walter Piston’s main claims to fame was his textbook simply entitled Harmony. In my mind, it is the best book for music theory students, because it is so elegantly written and so very clear and concise, as Flatt pointed out.
The ballet, The Incredible Flutist, is seldom performed today, but the music is full of humor and pictorial representation. The ballet tells the story of a town awakening from its afternoon siesta, complete with shoppers, the usual daily arguments, and romantic larking about between a merchant and rich widow. Soon, a circus comes to town, and, among the performers, is the incredible flutist of the title who charms everyone, including the merchant and the rich widow, who are eventually caught kissing. Embarrassment causes the widow to faint, but she is revived by the flutist’s miraculous playing, and the circus fades away into the night.
The DPO was highly spirited in their performance of this work, which is exactly what the score requires. They produced a wonderfully full and rich sound which truly highlights every section of the orchestra. As I have said before, the DPO has the best woodwind section of any of the community orchestras in the Denver Metro area, and Saturday night’s performance gave flutist Aaron Wille a chance to demonstrate the depth of this organization. His playing was absolutely superb. We need to hear more of him. The DPO took the audience by surprise by re-instituting one of the traditions begun by the Boston Pops Orchestra at their first performance of this work. As the circus arrives in town, the members of the Boston Pops Orchestra let out cheers of joy and welcome. So did the members of the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra Saturday night. It certainly lent some spontaneity to the performance, and underscored the delightful character of this work.
Following the Piston, Bryan Scafuri moved to the front of the orchestra as soloist in a work by Max Bruch entitled, Kol Nidrei, which is a work for cello and orchestra. Bryan is Principal Cellist with the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra and the Pueblo Symphony. He also performs with the Cheyenne Symphony. He has appeared in many master classes given by outstanding teachers of the cello. In addition, he performed in a side-by-side concert with the Cleveland orchestra, performing Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz. He has also performed the cello solo in the Brahms Piano Concerto Nr. 3 and the cello solo in Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake with the Pueblo Symphony. He has also soloed with that orchestra.
Max Bruch subtitled this work “An Adagio on Hebrew Themes for Cello and Orchestra.” It was composed in 1881 and was based on two Jewish themes. According to Bruch, “The first is an age old Hebrew song of atonement; the second is the middle section of a moving and truly magnificent song ‘O Weep for Those That Wept On Babel’s Stream.” Understand that Bruch was not Jewish, and that Jewish scholars have pointed out that his use of Jewish themes does not mean that this is official liturgical Jewish music. Bruch, himself, said that it was no more a Jewish piece of music than his Scottish Fantasy is a piece of Scottish music.
Once again, Maestro Flatt is to be congratulated on his programming choices. I have been aware that this piece was written by Bruch, but this is the first time I have heard it performed. It not only is an incredibly beautiful piece of music, but it fit so well into the entire program. Bryan Scafuri gave a very emotional performance of this piece, and he has the kind of rich mellow tone (What kind of cello does he have?) that perfectly fits the turgid harmonies and melodic line that Bruch wrote. He was acutely aware of how to shape the phrases with dynamics alone, and, due to his long experience in playing with different orchestras, could easily communicate with Maestro Flatt. There were times when, clearly, he was the soloist, and there were times, at Bruch’s demand, when he was supplementing the orchestra. Not once did he attempt to “take over the spotlight,” but he always performed in partnership with the orchestra. It was an extremely satisfying performance of a wonderfully satisfying piece that is not heard often enough.
Following the Bruch, the DPO performed the Camille Saint-Saëns Morceau de Concert, Opus 94, with David Wallace who is the Principal Horn with the orchestra. (I would like to point out that the program gave Saint-Saëns birth and death dates as 1685 to 1750. In addition, I would like to point out to the individual who proofread the program that those are the dates of J. S. Bach. Saint-Saëns’ dates in the program biographical notes were 1835 to 1921, and those are correct.) The Morceau de Concert was written in 1887, and dedicated to Henri Chaussier, a French horn player at the Paris Conservatory. As the program notes state, this is really a small-scale horn concerto, the opening theme of which is followed by variations. Saint-Saëns had a great interest in the court of Louis XIV, and Saint-Saëns’ treatment of the horn in this work and its stilted dance rhythms, bring to mind that court. The variations explore some of the extreme ranges of the horn, and Wallace seemed to have no difficulty with these whatsoever. Wallace has so much orchestral playing experience, that it was clear he was quite comfortable in front of the audience. His playing of this piece made it abundantly clear why he is Principal Horn with the DPO. He has the ability to make the horn sound quite pompous, and I think that is exactly what Saint-Saëns called for in this work, especially considering the almost eighteenth-century reminiscence inherent. One could almost imagine Louis XIV mounting the stage and leading off the dancing of ballets, which is exactly what he liked to do. Saint-Saëns was perfectly aware of this, and the mood of this piece reflects that knowledge.
David Wallace has been acting Assistant Principal Horn in the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and has performed and played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has also played in Broadway orchestras, including the Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon, and Camelot. He has played in orchestras under some of the most significant conductors of this century, including Sir George Solti, Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta, and James Levine. He has been the Performing Artist in Residence at the Denver School of the Arts, and is currently teaching music at Tarver Elementary School.
Following the intermission, the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra performed three works by the highly underrated Finnish composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957). These three works were Pohjola’s Daughter, Op. 49, Valse Triste, and Finlandia, Op. 26.
Sibelius, along with Dvořák, is one of the most important composers associated with the nationalism in music, and quite instrumental (no pun intended) in the development of the symphonic poem. His symphonic fantasy, Pohjola’s Daughter, is a very dark piece of incredible beauty, and was inspired by the seven stanza preface from Runo 8 of the Kalevala, which is Finland’s national folk epic (think of a Finnish Beowulf). It starts in a very dark, almost threatening manner, adequately depicting the evil daughter of Pohjola, who wants the hero to evenly split a single horsehair with a dull knife in order to win her affections.
The violins of the DPO truly seemed to realize their role in all three of the works performed after the intermission. They were brilliantly in tune, their pizzicato’s were absolutely together, and like many of their final season performances, this sounded absolutely exquisite. They are becoming more consistent all the time. They never seem to take their eyes off Maestro Flatt, who, after the performance, received a standing ovation, and seemed immensely pleased with the way they had performed. This orchestra has such a fine brass and woodwind section that it is wonderful to hear the strings match those sections.
The second work by Sibelius was his Valse Triste. This is certainly one of Sibelius’s most famous pieces, and I must say, that I grew up listening to students play a piano arrangement of this on their recitals. It is a beautiful piece, and it is a very good piece, but I never grasped the depth of its tragedy until I was in my twenties. It involves a dying woman and the Grim Reaper, whom she mistakes for her dead husband. And, as the program notes state, she dances in a locked embrace with the Grim Reaper until she dies. The DPO was absolutely superb in the performance of this piece. I might add that I have heard many performances of this work done in an overly sentimental way without the communication to the audience of the tragedy that this work describes. Adam Flatt was wonderfully capable of communicating the mood that Sibelius dictates in this work. There was nothing false or insincere in this performance at all. Its emotional impact was sincere and total.
The final work on Saturday’s program was Sibelius’s famous Finlandia. This was written in reaction to the strict censorship on Finland by the Russians in 1899. The work opens with a powerful statement from the brass that is dark and ominous, and, indeed, reflects the darkness of the mood that the Finnish nation was feeling at the time. It gradually turns to joyousness, and there is an almost hymn-like statement of the main theme which many people mistakenly believe is the Finnish national anthem.
Again, the DPO, under the leadership of Maestro Flatt, gave an exhilarating performance of this piece. With everyone in the orchestra working so well together, the tension that this piece created leading up to the statement of the main theme, was unmistakable and very real. The audience gave the orchestra and Maestro Flatt a very well-deserved standing ovation. This was clearly another performance where the orchestra demonstrated its ability to excel when everyone in the orchestra works well together.
As a footnote to this final performance of the season, I point out that this was the final month of the six-year term that Russell Klein has fulfilled as Executive Director and sometimes Treasurer of the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra. Under his direction, the orchestra has achieved a most secure footing that befits its very long history in the City and County of Denver.
Thank you, Mr. Klein.
