Friday, November 20, 2009
A Colorful Voyage to Exotic Places
by William Guy BarastTonight's concert by the DSO made me think a little bit of one of those shows on the Travel Channel that give you several snapshots of life in exotic locales.
Four works were on the program: Berlioz' Le Corsaire Overture, Debussy's La Mer, Ginastera's Four Dances from Estancia and the Piano Concerto No. 1 by the DSO's Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair Michel Camilo. On the podium was Andrew Grams (a replacement on very short notice for Leonard Slatkin). The composer was at the piano.
The evening started with a bang. Berlioz' madcap overture Le Corsaire (The Pirate) was given an excellent reading by Maestro Grams and the DSO, one that didn't press the pedal too hard to the metal (which Berlioz does well enough by himself). For my money, listening to this manic orchestral adventure is far more energizing than a cup of coffee any day. Berlioz wrote it while on his second visit to Nice, and while it underwent several changes of title, it isn't actually an overture to anything in particular--just a dazzling, sparkling, totally vertiginous display of complete orchestral virtuosity.
Next came Debussy's La Mer. French for 'The Sea', Debussy's triptych is positively cinematic at times in its amazing ability to evoke a maritime atmosphere. Grams and the DSO gave a wonderfully nuanced, finely textured performance of this audience favorite. Especially effective was the wonderful sense of total calm that preceeded the big moment at the end of the first section. Of course, the piece was written that way, but there was no hurrying to get to that glorious, technicolor moment, which made it all the more effective when it finally arrived. Another favorite moment, admirably presented, came at the end of the third section, where the high pitch held by the violins before the flutes' entrance evokes the sea in its sunny, hazy majesty.
Ginastera's four Dances from Estancia paint four vivid pictures of life on the Argentinian plain. All were marvellously effective (especially the lovely 'Wheat Dance,' the second of the set), but none more so than the closing Malambo. Grams took a brisk tempo and the DSO's playing couldn't have been tighter. In short, it rocked the house.
Camilo's Piano Concerto provided a highly effective showcase for his dazzling pianistic gifts. Incorporating 20th-century elements, jazz and Afro-Caribbean rhythms, this piece is a tour-de-force for piano and orchestra. The two outer movements, muscular and more aggressive, flank a gorgeous slow movement that is simply magical, evoking at times a slow, smoky, jazzy flavor. Camilo's performance of this work is a show-stopper and must be seen--and heard--to be believed.
If you're already feeling the winter blahs (or even if you're not!) this concert is for you. There's one more chance to catch it, Saturday night in Orchestra Hall at 8:30. Not to be missed!
Labels: Reviews, William Guy Barast
posted by Detroit Symphony Orchestra at
5:40 PM
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Thursday, November 12, 2009
A Fun-Filled Blast from the Past
by William Guy BarastThe second concert in the DTE Energy Foundation's DSO Pops Series, Disco Days and Boogie Nights, opened this morning to a large and very enthusiastic crowd. I wasn't quite sure at first how I felt about an entire concert of music from the'70s; however, after less than five minutes I'll admit that I was hooked!
Conductor Jack Everly led the DSO, the male a cappella vocal group Chapter Six and singers Anne Beck, Farah Alvin and N'Kenge in a high-energy traversal of the decade that not only left no stone unturned, but also left this listener with an ear-to-ear grin for the better part of two hours.
Everything just clicked today: the arrangements were all top-notch, the DSO mixed their usual precision playing with just a touch of '70s grit and the incredibly talented vocalists had plenty of energy (and pipes!) to spare. A real show-stopping moment came in the second half of the concert, when Chapter Six presented their own arrangement of Freddie Mercury’s '70s classic Bohemian Rhapsody—entirely a cappella!
So dust off your platform shoes, put on your polyester leisure suit and get down to Orchestra Hall this weekend—I promise you won't regret it! Show times (and yes, this is a 'show'!) are Thursday at 8:00 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 3:00. Enjoy!
Labels: Reviews, William Guy Barast
posted by Detroit Symphony Orchestra at
9:29 PM
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