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Reviews
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Closes Out Summer Evening Concert Series
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- Parent Category: Film and the Arts
- Category: Reviews
- Published on Saturday, 22 July 2023 20:41
- Written by Jack Angstreich
Photo by Da Ping Luo.
At Lincoln Center, on the evening of Tuesday, July 18th, I had the pleasure of attending a fine concert—the final one in its Summer Evenings series—presented by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
The event began promisingly with an accomplished account of Joseph Haydn’s wonderful Trio in E-flat major of 1797, here played by the admirable recitalist and virtuoso, Juho Pohjonen, on piano, with violinist Stella Chen and cellist Sihao He. The initial movement , marked Poco allegretto, is a model of elegance; its main body is charming but it possesses a more serious, minor-key interlude. The slow movement is brief and lyrical but with some dramatic intensity, while the finale, which centers upon a Ländler melody, is animated and sparkling.
The musicians were then joined by violinist Danbi Um and violist Beth Guterman Chu for an excellent rendition of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s marvelous Concerto No. 12 in A major for Piano and String Quartet, K. 414, from 1782. Program annotator Jack Slavin provides some useful background on the work:
Between 1782 and 1783, Mozart wrote three piano concertos that were published as a set, though it is unclear whether he intended for them to be one. His style was evolving considerably throughout this transitional time; the early Viennese concertos are often seen as a bridge between the Salzburg concertos and those of his mature period starting in the mid-1780s. With Mozart’s own blessing, these three pieces can be performed a quattro, or with string quartet accompaniment instead of full orchestra.
Already with the opening Allegro it seemed that one was encountering something even more remarkable than the Haydn Trio; in it, surprising depths can be found beneath a delightful surface. The introspective Andante—the main theme is a quotation from the Andante from the overture to the opera La calamita de’ cuori by Johann Christian Bach, the composer’s former teacher—has much of the beauty of the celebrated slow movements of the more famous of Mozart’s piano concertos and the piece closes with an exuberant Allegretto finale.
The concert concluded impressively with a compelling reading of Gabriel Fauré’s memorable Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 15, completed in 1879 and performed here by Pohjonen, Um, Guterman Chu, and He. The first movement, marked Allegro molto moderato, is passionate, turbulent, and full-blown in its Romanticism, although with some song-like passages, while the ensuing Scherzo is not unexpectedly playful and more eccentric—its ingenious Trio is especially striking. The Adagio that follows is solemn but not unrelievedly so and the Allegro molto finale is complex and absorbing, pervaded by a powerful emotionalism and ends affirmatively.
The artists deservedly received enthusiastic applause, ending a superb series.
Romeo and Juliet at the Met Opera House
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- Parent Category: Film and the Arts
- Category: Reviews
- Published on Saturday, 22 July 2023 20:13
- Written by Jack Angstreich
Isabella Boylston and Daniel Camargo in Romeo and Juliet. Photo: Rosalie O’Connor.
At the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center on the evening of Wednesday, July 19th, I had the exceptional pleasure to attend a superb performance of American Ballet Theater’s excellent production of Romeo and Juliet.
The marvelous choreography is by Sir Kenneth MacMillan—who, after George Balanchine and Frederick Ashton, was one of the finest twentieth-century choreographers. It is set to the glorious score—one of the greatest in the repertory, here expertly conducted by David LaMarche—by Sergei Prokofiev. The attractive scenery and costumes were designed by Nicholas Georgiadis and the effective lighting is by Thomas Skelton.
The title roles were fabulously danced by principals Daniel Camargo—who is relatively new to this company— and Isabella Boylston. At least equally impressive, in a scene-stealing part, was Jonathan Klein as Mercutio. The secondary cast was also remarkable: Patrick Frenette, here replacing Sung Woo Han, was delightful as Mercutio and Tybalt was played by Roman Zhurbin; the wonderful Three Harlots were danced by Isadora Loyola, Scout Forsythe, and Betsy McBride. The main non-dancing roles included Eric Tamm as Paris, Luciana Paris and Alexei Agoudine as Lady and Lord Capulet, Carlos Lopez as Escalus, Prince of Verona and as Friar Laurence, Courtney Lavine as Rosaline, Nancy Raffa—here replacing Susan Jones—as the Nurse, and Chloe Misseldine and Clinton Luckett as Lady and Lord Montague. The extraordinary corps de ballet was characteristically brilliant.
Performances of this production close Ballet Theater’s indelible—if all too brief—summer season.
July '23 Digital Week II
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- Parent Category: Film and the Arts
- Category: Reviews
- Published on Wednesday, 19 July 2023 19:31
- Written by Kevin Filipski
National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America Plays Carnegie Hall
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- Parent Category: Film and the Arts
- Category: Reviews
- Published on Wednesday, 19 July 2023 14:47
- Written by Jack Angstreich
National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, photo by Chris Lee.
At Carnegie Hall on the evening of Friday, July 14th, I had the exceptional pleasure to attend a terrific concert featuring the uncommonly talented musicians of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America under the direction of the celebrated Sir Andrew Davis.
The program began auspiciously with a sterling account of the world premiere of Valerie Coleman’s awesome Giants of Light which was commissioned by Carnegie Hall and is notable especially for its impressive orchestration and which builds to a stirring climax. I here reproduce in its entirety the composer’s note on the piece:
Giants of Light is a celebration commissioned by Carnegie Hall to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA). Light is a metaphor for truth, knowledge, and humanity. The role of light is to illuminate a path for all walks of life to tread, and provide a sense of safety within every space it occupies. The concept of light is also youthful and nourishes the world, so it is fitting that NYO-USA is depicted in this work as an embodiment of light that provides impactful guidance and enrichment to its young artists.
At the start of Giants of Light, we hear the violin section in a youthful shout of declaration, one that is fearless and joyful, and it sings, scuttles, and bops within a virtuosic dance. Each instrument group joins the dance in its own way, as it turns into a soulful song. The song winds down into a more personal, introspective vision of hope and inspiration that can always be found at the heart of aspiring young artists. It was a special joy to write a short dialogue between flute solo and cello that floats over what I intended to be an effervescent shimmer of sound. In this section, the trombone has the last say, emerging with its amber tone from the English horn’s tender moment.
It seemed fitting to incorporate a sense of folk-song traditions, as the performers in NYO-USA come from all parts of the United States (and I am from Kentucky). Led by a solo violin, the following section weaves a tale of these “giants to be” as they journey to New York City, while little sparks of light symbolize their energy and excitement. To me, there is a thin line between bluegrass and music from the African continent, and so why not pair the two together? As the music progresses, soloists and instrumental groups briefly contribute, representing the beautiful elements of diversity within this great nation. We spectators witness all these chirps, wails of blues and jazz, sights and sounds that quickly pass by on our journey, eventually arriving at the moment of reaching Carnegie Hall!
I could not conceive of a more suitable musical moment that conveys the almost sacred pinnacle of craft of being at Carnegie Hall than a hymn. It starts in a revered tone that builds intensity within each cycle, with the trumpets leading a descant that gives way to a blaze of fierce exclamation, led by the brass.
The moment makes a final statement: This young generation of artistic thinkers are truly giants, and as they arrive into the next level of their craft, we acknowledge their full inheritance of stewardship towards humanity and the earth. May they do much better than those that came before them!
The renowned soloist Gil Shaham then entered the stage for a marvelous performance of Samuel Barber’s extraordinary Violin Concerto. The initial Allegro movement is song-like and melodious with some suspenseful moments and ends quietly while the ensuing Andante is enchanting if solemn, with some urgent passages, and also concludes softly. The bravura finale is brisk, propulsive, spiky—even turbulent—and virtuosic. Enthusiastic applause elicited an enjoyable encore from Shaham: the “Isolation Rag” by contemporary composer Scott Wheeler.
The second half of the program was at least equally superb: an impeccable realization of Hector Berlioz’s incomparable Symphony fantastique. The first movement opens with a slow introduction but eventually becomes unsettled, while closing serenely. The second movement, titled “A Ball,” is a charming waltz that becomes more passionate and the succeeding “Scene in the Country” becomes increasingly dramatic for much of its length while containing some of the work’s most beautiful writing. The “March to the Scaffold” that follows is intensely exciting and the “Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath” that ends the symphony is uncanny and eccentric but tumultuous and enthralling, leading to a stunning conclusion. A standing ovation drew forth another wonderful encore: the final movement, “March,” from Paul Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber.
Another pleasurable evening was had at the same venue the following night featuring the National Youth Orchestra’s precocious sister ensemble for high school students, NYO2, under the accomplished direction of Joseph Young.
This program also opened promisingly with a delightful version of Leonard Bernstein’s irresistible Three Dance Episodes from On the Town. The first section, “The Great Lover Displays Himself,” is distinctive for its brashness and the next, “Lonely Town,” is bluesy but not without grandeur; the ending “Times Square Ballet” is jazzy and tuneful.
Another famed soloist, Jennifer Koh, then joined the musicians to laudably play another outstanding violin concerto—here that of Jean Sibelius. The initial Allegro moderato movement is mysterious at the outset and grows in intensity, preceding a meditative slow movement and a dynamicfinale.
The second half of the event was maybe even stronger: a splendid performance of selections from Sergei Prokofiev’s glorious three Suites excerptedfrom his glorious score for the ballet, Romeo and Juliet. Another standing ovation was rewarded with two fabulous encores: the first was Carlos Simon's “Holy Dance” from Four Black American Dances and the second was a merengue, Tono Abreu's Caña Brava.
