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Following its energized efficiency of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony per week in the past, Calgary Philharmonic opened its Curated Sequence (Fundamental Sequence to these with lengthy reminiscences) on Friday evening with a program dedicated to music from the opulent period – the interval simply earlier than the First World Struggle.
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There’s nothing just like the sound of a full symphony orchestra. On this event, the stage was packed to the gunnels with devices of all types, together with two harps, a celesta, a spread of percussion devices, with the common orchestra expanded to eight horns, amongst different devices. All of it made for a most spectacular sound, not only for the sheer quantity – and there was loads of that on the finish of the night – however principally of the vary of colors doable with such a big useful resource.
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Readily available to guide the expanded forces was conductor Karen Kamensek in (I consider) her first look with the orchestra. American-born, Kamensek has had a really spectacular profession in Europe, one which now consists of England and the USA. These performances have included appearances within the music of Philip Glass with the Metropolitan Opera, for which she gained a Grammy Award.
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Her competence and ability within the dealing with of huge forces and music of appreciable complexity was spectacular. This system opened with Debussy’s Prelude to an Afternoon of a Faun, a tough piece to conduct with many modifications in tempo and pacing that steadily lie between the beats. I’ve heard fairly numerous skilled conductors through the years who merely couldn’t conduct this piece. However not this time. Conserving a transparent, if mild, underlying pulse, Kamensek led the orchestra via a sinuous, pliant therapy of this nice orchestral work, setting the stage for much more spectacular issues to come back. Sara Hahn-Scinocco, the orchestra’s first flute, carried out the prolonged solo half with aplomb.
Kamensek was much more spectacular in her conducting of the ultimate work on this system: Scriabin’s Poem of Ecstasy. The dimensions of the orchestra wanted and the sheer complexity of the rating have made this piece an rare merchandise on live performance applications. And it was the complexity of the work, particularly in rhythm – the dealing with of its seething high quality so that doesn’t degenerate into rhythmic mush – that made this such a tremendous efficiency. Point out must be product of the contribution of the expanded horn part and, notably, of the highly effective trumpet solos of Adam Zinatelli, rock strong in all that he needed to play.
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Regardless of its unfamiliarity and complexity, the efficiency was so gripping that there was a spontaneous standing ovation on the finish. The orchestra too was completely happy to specific its appreciation for Kamensek’s conducting that led them via many musical shoals with readability, precision, and with a terrific climax on the finish. An entire skilled in all issues, Kamensek was very spectacular.
The opposite Karen of the night was Karen Gomyo, whom I bear in mind nicely from her earlier, much-enjoyed look with the orchestra. On this event she supplied two works: a brand new violin concerto by Montreal composer Samy Moussa, and Ernest Chausson’s Poème. As earlier than, her mild stage presence and luxurious enjoying have been charming.
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Samy Moussa is a reputation hardly recognized right here, however he, like Kamensek, has had a serious profession in Europe, not solely as a composer however as a conductor. He has composed a substantial quantity of music for big and smaller ensembles, in addition to operas and oratorios. All of it is a testomony as to the problem of recent Canadian composers to get their music earlier than the general public.
On this occasion, the viewers was offered together with his latest violin concerto, subtitled Adrano. The sub-title refers to an historical Sicilian fire-god, represented within the three-movement concerto by a gradual, evocative opening motion (maybe the spirit of the fire-god), a central cadenza motion (maybe his individual because the god of fireside), and a rhythmic finale (maybe the vitality and dynamism of the god). The three linked actions are all composed in a neo-romantic method, with a robust tonal underpinning within the concord, however with extra fashionable figures as nicely.
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The work made a really optimistic impression on the viewers, particularly within the wonderful efficiency by Gomyo, with the CPO as a supportive companion. Gomyo has a very engaging violin tone, and even when the music is gradual (and far of it’s on this piece), one is drawn to the tone of the instrument, at the same time as one may savour a perfectly cooked French sauce. And there was loads of zip within the ultimate motion.
Gomyo’s persona additionally suited the Chausson Poème heard within the second half of the live performance. The cadenzas, specifically, have been superbly dealt with, and the orchestral accompaniment was supportive however didn’t overwhelm. The poetry of the music, its versatile narrative, was excellently dealt with, with melodic moments richly offered.
General, this was a night of extremely refined music. For the orchestra, that is very completely different enjoying from the Beethoven of per week in the past. It was a deal with to listen to the orchestra responding to such completely different musical challenges, on this event, a hit galvanized by the 2 visiting Karens, each of whom are to be welcomed again.
