Always a joy to head down to Severance Hall to hear the local band, the Cleveland Orchestra, and that’s where Dan Perttu and I were last night. Marin Alsop conducted Barber’s Second Essay, Schumann’s Piano Concerto, and Copland’s Third Symphony. A stellar performance in many respects.
Some thoughts. I want to try out some of Maestra Alsop’s moves–in both of the 20th-century pieces, her baton arm was frequently quite low–almost at waist level–as it went away from her body. Not so much in the Schumann, which of course has considerably more lightness both in tone and in what is actually required of the orchestra. The “low beat” is something I associate with choral conducting, but I always liked the way it can encourage a group to give a full-bodied, massive tone–if it can be seen over the podium!
The Barber may be something that is in the realm of possibility for the Lakeland Civic Orchestra, and I need to look into it. I wasn’t very familiar with it before I decided to attend this concert and did some preparatory listening. A somewhat hesitant start from the orchestra, but a thrilling conclusion.
The Schumann piano concerto has been one of my favorites for many years, which means that I usually want to hear it just-so. Pianist David Fray was competent, but not astonishing, at least not from where I sat. It seemed, particularly in the outer movements, that he had somewhere else that he needed to be just then. In particular, the first movement cadenza felt rushed–for a part of the piece that certainly invites a pianist to take some time and space, no matter what tempo one chooses for the main body of the movement.
The Copland was splendidly done. Alsop gave a wonderfully cogent explanation of the motivic structure of the piece before playing it that, I think, would help almost any audience hear what Copland does with the “Common Man” material. The full performance was revelatory–I had only heard the piece on CD before, and to me one the advantages of watching a live performance is the visual reinforcement of a composer’s orchestrational technique. There are doublings, of course, that only really great players can make work–horn and flute, for example, but of course the Clevelanders play them with ease. My only quibble was a lack of energy and drive in the second movement, but it is, after all, an enormous piece, and to expend so much in the scherzo would endanger the effectiveness of the finale.
Also picked up trombonist Massimo La Rosa’s new CD in the gift shop, and I’m about halfway through listening to it as I type this entry. An interesting balance of standard repertoire and new transcriptions, including a daring trombone version of the Bach G-major cello suite. Love his tone and musicality (the solo in the first movement of the Copland last night was exquisite)!
One of the exciting things about conducting the Lakeland Civic Orchestra is going to a concert like this and seeing four or five of the orchestra members in attendance–what a change from previous groups!