"Midsummer" in Winter with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s

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Parent Category: Film and the Arts

Category: Reviews

Published on Monday, 05 December 2022 20:37

Written by Jack Angstreich

David Hyde-Pierce with the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, photo by Chris Lee

At Carnegie Hall, on the evening of Thursday, November 17th, I had the great fortune to attend a terrific concert featuring the superb Orchestra of St. Luke’s under the estimable direction of Harry Bicket.

The event opened exhilaratingly with a dazzling performance of Felix Mendelssohn’s pleasurable Piano Concerto No. 1, with the extraordinary soloist, Benjamin Grosvenor. The first movement opens in bravura fashion, and after the introduction of the exquisite, song-like second theme, it becomes the model of the virtuoso Romantic concerto. The delicate Andante that follows is the most beautiful of the three movements while the propulsive, playful finale is astonishing too in its way. Grosvenor stunned with an amazing encore: "Gnomenreigen" from Two Concert Etudes by Franz Liszt.

But it was the balance of the program that was especially memorable: a magnificent account of Felix Mendelssohn’s marvelous Overture and Incidental Music to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, featuring David Hyde-Pierce as narrator. The celebrated Overture is of course enchanting and was followed by the sprightly, charming Scherzo. The song “Young spotted snakes”—an instance of heavenly vocal writing—was gloriously sung by the lovely soprano Elena Villalón, mezzo-soprano Cecelia Hall, and the wonderful Choir of Trinity Wall Street. The effectively suspenseful Intermezzo was succeeded by the majestic Notturno, while the inordinately familiar Wedding March was nonetheless stirring and exultant, preceding the delightful song, “Through the house give glimmering light,” which proved to be a gorgeous conclusion.

This outstanding ensemble returns to this venue on February 9th, 2023 with Franz Schubert’s unforgettable Ninth Symphony and on April 13th, 2023 with a program devoted to Georg Friedrich Händel, including the fabulous Royal Fireworks Music.

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