Respighi, Fuchs, Montague, Elgar

Hartford Symphony Orchestra
Bushnell, Hartford
April 30, 2008
By Donna Bailey-Thompson

Suddenly, organist Edward Clark’s thundering chord opened the latest program in the Masterworks Series, a reverberation that if created within dimmed light and long shadows could inject fear into one’s marrow . But in the lighted safety of Mortensen Hall, with the joining of throbbing cellos and the sweetness of violins, the Cantico of Ottorino Respighi’s (1879-1936) Suite in G Major for Organ and Strings became more celestial than sepulchral.

The composing of "Canticle To The Sun" by Kenneth Fuchs (b. 1956), a concerto for horn and orchestra, was inspired by the "virtuosic playing" of Timothy Jones, principal hornist of the London Symphony Orchestra. The evening’s world premiere featured internationally acclaimed soloist Richard Todd whose burnished French horn shone with the brilliance of a jeweler’s window and sent forth enriched variations of tunes based upon the Protestant hymn, "All Creatures of Our God and King." At times, the dialog between soloist and orchestra seemed to be spontaneous, as if the magnificent horn was saying, "Listen to my thoughts!" and the strings, eager to understand, were responding, "Is this what you meant?"

"Behold a Pale Horse" for organ, two trumpets, two horns, two trombones and a tuba by Stephen Montague (b. 1943), was inspired by The Apocalypse as described by John in the Book of Revelation. Maestro Edward Cumming read aloud: "And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hellfire followed with him. And Power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with all the beasts of the earth." For the next fifteen minutes, the eight musicians roiled the score into a cacophony of awesome magnitude. The terror banished in Respighi’s Cantico was transferred with a vengeance into this blaring assault that manifested mental images of a violent end of this world.

Variations on an Original Theme, "Enigma," Opus 36 by Edward Elgar (1957-1934) tapped into what oxygen remained in the hall. According to the composer, the theme is silent but is suggested through a series of clues. We can speculate all we want but we’ll never know what Elgar had in mind. The composer created musical mini portraits of his friends, hence a smorgasbord of orchestrations: if some friends were delightful and some weren’t, the overall effect was charming.

Rossini, Chopin, Brahms

Springfield Symphony Orchestra
Symphony Hall, Springfield
April 25, 2008
By Donna Bailey-Thompson

What a satisfying program, one that began with Music Director Kevin Rhodes pre-concert comments about what we were about to hear. Chopin’s Piano Concerto No.2, F minor "is beautiful from beginning to end." His talk focused on Brahms’ Symphony No. 3 in F Major, "the least played of his four symphonies" and his favorite, "if one can say such an insane thing."

The first few seconds of Gioacchino Rossini’s (1792-1868) sprightly Overture to "La scala di seta" (The Silken Staircase) featured screeching violins reminiscent of Hitchcock’s horrific shower scene. What followed was not a slashing knife but background music suitable for a flock of hummingbirds whose geometric flight pattern continuously surprises.

Pianist Claire V. Huangci’s spirited playing of Frederic Chopin’s (1810-1849) concerto was the evening’s piece de resistance. She glided onto the stage wearing a frothy white strapless gown with a full bell-like skirt sprinkled with sparkling ,mini stars. The orchestra’s long introduction heightened anticipation. When her cue arrived, she attacked the keys – clean, sharply-delineated chords and passages – serving notice that she was in charge, a girl just 18, playing Chopin’s concerto as if she were channeling him or Lizst. From the high registers, clusters of descending notes sounded like a delicate clinking of crystal cubes. During interludes ideal for profound thinking, Huangci's nimble fingering loosed hundreds of butterflies into meadows of wildflowers. With her third curtain call (even the orchestra applauded), she graciously returned to the piano to play Mozart’s intricate and rousing Turkish March, further energizing an enthralled audience. Of all the glowing comments overheard by the smitten at intermission, the most-often expressed was, "A tour de force!"

Under the energetic direction of Maestro Rhodes, the full-bodied tones of Symphony No. 3 in F Major by Brahms (1833-1897) were brought forth. The composer’s virtuosity was showcased along with the need by Rhodes to mop his head, face and neck. During the third movement, the plaintive melody was woven like a dance – disappearing briefly before reappearing. Brahms indulged his pleasure of the theme by gifting future audiences frequent repetitions of the exquisite melancholic theme. He knew a good tune when he heard it.

The Nields, Shawn Mullins, Dar Williams

Calvin Theater, Northampton, MA
April 12, 2008
by Eric Sutter

The Nields from Western, MA performed songs from their current release "Sister Holler" at the Calvin. The14th recording in their career, it emphasized an abundance of old folk songs mixed witha surprisingly new radical edge. Of course, the trademark harmonies of the sister duo of Nerissa and Katryna Nields was intact as they sang the popular anthem "This Train." With Nerissa on folk guitar, the pair were joined by Dar Williams on keyboards and sang three part harmony on "Endless Day" to glorious effect. The sisters harmonized their hit "Easy People," which had the audience singing. Their close was the blues of "When I'm Here."

Native Georgian, Shawn Mullins sang a plethora of folk-rock and blues songs to an appreciative audience. "Shimmer" was the Australian's Olympic Team anthem. He continued in sequence of character sketch song-stories of humanity from his latest disc, "Honeydew." Tales of genuine heartache tugged at the heart and pleaded for the listener's ear. A plainspoken power was reflected in his voice as he sang "For America," which outlined the story of an Iraqi War veteran's loss of a limb. He performed the"Scrubs" theme song "All in My Head." The mellow psychedelic country "Blue As You" set the tone for a couple of hits with "Beautiful Wreck" and his Top 10 hit "Lullaby," for which he received a Grammy nomination.

Dar Williams capped off the evening of music in her resonant folk-pop style that worked her life scenarios into music that connected with the audience. Although she continued to have problems with tuning her guitar, the beautifully-voiced songbird sang lovely renditions of favorites, "Calling the Moon," "The Babysitter's Here" and "Book of Love." With humor and wit, she called out Shawn Mullins to join her in a duet of "Comfortably Numb." Williams' clear high voice and acoustic guitar on "Mercy of the Fallen" was backed by Nields. This was pleasant folk-pop for Northampton.

Schumann, Bruch, Mendelssohn

Hartford Symphony Orchestra
The Bushnell, Hartford
April 5, 2008
By Donna Bailey-Thompson

The centerpiece of the program, Scottish Fantasy for Violin with Orchestra and Harp by Max Bruch (1838-1920) rendered what followed ("The Italian" by Mendelssohn, 1809-1920) anti-climatic. How could that be? Because Leonid Sigal stepped out of his role as HSO’s Concertmaster to beguile the audience with his love affair with the violin. At one with his instrument, Sigal embraced the various moods of the Scottish Fantasy, including spirited adaptations of various European ethnic dances and passages of fluid abandonment akin to improvisation. There were moments when it seemed as if the composer might have happened upon a wagon encampment and transferred the experience into music which clicked with the romantic within Sigal whereupon he assumed the identity of a solitary gypsy violinist baring his tortured soul. In the program notes, Dr. Richard E. Rodda’s writes: "The invigorating, tuneful Scottish Fantasy is evidence of Sr. Donald Tovey’s trenchant summation of the music of this composer: ‘It is not easy to write as beautifully as Max Bruch.’ "

During the pre-concert talk, guest conductor Grant Llewellyn described the program as a happy combination of music, in essence a musical European Grand Tour. A native of Wales (born 1962), this engaging musician’s other passion is soccer. Like Mendelssohn 150 years earlier, Llewellyn when almost twenty, toured Italy for a year or so, earning some money from playing the cello but more from playing soccer. He praised the Scottish Fantasy, saying that it "puts the violin through its paces as much as a concerto" and that the harp creates "pyrotechnics of its own."

But Llewellyn was most enthusiastic about the Overture, Scherzo and Finale in E Major by Robert Schumann (1810-1856) which opened the program. Obscure, rarely performed, Llewellyn stated, "I love it to death." Composed during Robert and Clara Schumann’s first year of marriage (her father opposed her marriage with a vehemence to rival Mr. Barrett’s of Elizabeth’s to Robert Browning), their happiness is mirrored in the buoyancy of the score.

Nevertheless, the night belonged to Sigal. When he returned after intermission, having resumed his role as Concertmaster, the audience greeted him with enthusiastic applause. At the conclusion of "The Italian," protracted applause signaled Llewellyn and the orchestra of the audience’s appreciation for an evening of first-rate classical music.

The Ten Tenors

Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield
March 14
By Shera Cohen

Two math questions. What is Il Divo x 3.33? Hummm? Let’s make it easier? What are The Three Tenors x 2.5? Answer -- The Ten Tenors, or affectionally dubbed TTT. These Aussies combine camaraderie, energy, and animated choreography of a football team with debonair charm, wit, and professionalism of Wall Street bankers. They are personable, relaxed, and as one of the members referred to all, “incredibly good looking.” They are the boys next door, if the boys had voices like Pavarotis in the making.

Starting as impromptu street singers, the classmates launched their career performing in every town and hamlet in their homeland, quickly cut a CD, and then ventured to Europe. Except for one PBS performance, few in this country have had the opportunity to hear TTT. Now on their first North American tour, these boys are fast becoming known and applauded, and not just for their pretty faces. They can sing!

As a unit, TTT is at its best – whether singing as one voice or as a group sporadically highlighting individuals within sections of songs. It is clearly evident that each vocalist has his unique singing style, range, and genre expertise. They also can sing anything – and do!

There are folk, pop, rock, Australian pieces, disco, and a lot of opera. One of the men told the audience that they would perform, “opera without the boring bits.” The repertoire shifts from Puccini to Queen, “Waltzing Matilda” to Dean Martin’s “Volare,” the Tarantella to Simon & Garfunkle, and Verdi to the Bee Gees. Envision ten businessmen walking out of an office, instantly singing “Saturday Night Fever” as a chorus line performing disco moves.

While the singers promised no encores, they lied. There were three, with standing ovations after each. The last was perhaps the best tenor aria ever written – “Nessun dorma” from “Turandot.” What an evening!

The wonderful experience of this concert starts before spotlights go up and a note is sung. It begins upon entering the newly renovated 100-year-old Colonial Theatre. Millions have obviously been spent in keeping the original historic luster. The venue was breath-taking, and every dime was well-spent. Pittsfield’s residents should feel proud of their good work in turning their arts around 180 degrees. Pittsfield is very much a destination point.

Natalie MacMaster

Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield
March 2, 2008
by Eric Sutter

Natalie MacMaster comes from the high cliffs of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. She started fiddling at age 9 and step-dancing at age 5. With attractive looks she lives and breathes this unique culture through her music and dance.

In all her splendid glory she moved from Gaelic airs to reels and jigs. Her back-up band included equally competent musicians who quickened the spirit. The spritely "Sweet as a Bird" was an exquisite balance of sweetness and sinew. Clog rhythms were evidenced in the spine-tingling excitement of "Volcanic Jig" as she tapped out the tune with fancy dance steps. With driving energy and irresistible charm she showed the audience what a Cape Breton party was all about. Evidently there existed plenty of Celtic DNA in the audience judged by the response of sheer joy. "Joshephine's Waltz" was a soulful balanced interplay between heartfelt cello and fiddle.

Into the light she played and danced while the backdrop lighting changed from hues of pink and blue to green and purple which softened or bolstered the music accordingly. She was dressed in effervescent blue. Oftentimes she cavorted around the cello player or bass man and coaxed them to play mightily. Drawing energy from them she suddenly turned and cut into rousing fiddle tunes.

The second half of the program brought an awesome bagpipe solo. The woeful slow air "Lament for the Death" conjured up a graveness of spirit. The delicate calm lasted until the fired up and mischievous, "Madness Medley" which oscillated between flashy fiddling and funky world beat bass and drum jams interspersed with Nathaniel Smith's moving cello solo, "What a Wonderful World."

MacMaster's boundless energy was displayed on the closing foot-tapping rave-up, "Pretty Mary." She performed a Celtic Michael Jackson moonwalk dance which was pure exhilaration. To be sure, MacMaster possesses Celtic beauty, grace and soul and is a source of inspiration to many lovers of modern Celtic and Appalachian music.

Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Brahms

Hartford Symphony Orchestra
The Bushnell, Hartford
February 16, 2008
By Donna Bailey-Thompson

This Valentine-inspired program featured Ravel’s intricate orchestrations, Rachmaninoff’s scoring skills, and Brahms’ transformation of melancholia into musical majesty. The Hartford Symphony’s salute to romance provided beauty and bite, euphoria and sadness, the skill of a sensitive pianist, all under the baton of guest conductor Tania Miller.

Imagine Tania Miller growing up in Saskatchewan (pop. 1000) who at age 35 is in her fifth season as Music Director of the Victoria Symphony Orchestra. Maestra Miller won the audience’s admiration for her mature, definitive conducting skills; and for her warmth as an engaging young woman, she earned a piece of its heart.

Maurice Ravel’s "Le Tombeau de Couperin" is what impressionistic painting sounds like – shimmering, lush, vivacious, guarded, poignant, muted – particularly when the composer is roiling with emotional pain due to World War One, the deaths of six friends, the passing of his beloved mother, and the effects of brutality on French culture. Sergei Rachmaninoff’s "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" is a collection of variations on one particular theme composed by the legendary violinist Niccolio Paganini. It’s what the scratchings of an algebraist might resemble when trying one hypothesis after another in search of the ultimate equation. But a brainstorm directs the mathematician towards a radically different approach which brings forth an interim possibility of heavenly proportions. The piano artistry of guest soloist Anne-Marie McDermott, tempered by respect for the piece, thrilled the audience.

The Symphony No. 4 in E minor by Johannes Brahms, in four movements, was written while he was warding off depression. Sometimes the music brightens, almost as if he doesn’t dare to feel happy. Ah, the fullness of Brahms! Maestra Miller evoked the orchestra to step up their involvement with the music without compromising their discipline. The repetition of ta dum, ta dum, foretells that something big this way comes. Can it be forestalled? Maybe. No, sorry, it’s inevitable. And this great composition swelled to a majestic, controlled conclusion. The audience was pulled to its feet.

Mozart & Mendelssohn

Springfield Symphony Orchestra
Symphony Hall, Springfield
February 9, 2008
By Donna Bailey-Thompson

The music of a revered classicist opened the evening’s performance – the Overture to the opera, "Cosi fan tutte" ("women are all the same"), a lively five minutes, composed when Mozart was 33. His Symphony No. 29 in A Major followed, written when he was 18. During Music Director Kevin Rhodes’ pre-concert talk, he mentioned that Mozart could "imagine the entire piece in his head" before beginning to write. Honored by admirers as the most accomplished composer ever, the Mozart sound is readily recognized which is rather amusing inasmuch as he often mimicked others’ music. However, his unique essence cannot be eclipsed because often even his slow passages described by one Mozart aficionado as "pure silk."consist of millions of notes. That’s an exaggerated number but not by much.

Following intermission, Mendelssohn’s richly melodic Symphony No. 4 in A Major – The Italian – filled Symphony Hall with Romantic strains (revised by Mendelssohn in 1834 and not discovered until the 1990s). Of particular beauty were the French horns in the third movement. By presenting familiar passages followed by their revisions, the audience could play Holmes to Maestro Rhodes’ Dr. Watson. Not so fast! Without in-depth familiarity with the original score, pinpointing any changes was difficult to impossible with one exception: the revised final movement is a heightened triumph of whirling rhythms that brought the audience to its feet.

Here’s another nugget shared by Rhodes during his pre-concert talk: strictly speaking, Classical is not a blanket adjective but refers to music composed between 1730 and 1820. Other named periods begin with Medieval (476-1400) followed by Renaissance (1400-1600); Common (1600-1750); Romantic (1815-1910); Modern/Contemporary (1900-2000). Perhaps eons from now there’ll be assigned a contemporary avant garde classical period which will have been a stepping stone for an au courant classical body of work. And the beat goes on.

"Almost Heaven - Songs of John Denver"

CityStage, Springfield
February 13, 2008
By Eric Sutter

CityStage played host to a wonderful feel-good musical theatre production with "Almost Heaven - Songs of John Denver." Songs of love and hope were nestled nicely alongside songs of open country and playfulness. The players, including Ryan Nearhoff as John Denver, sported a clean-cut whole-earth image. The choral group consisted of three men and two women and with back-up musicians on fiddle, guitar, and keyboards they conjured up a sensitive portrayal of the music of Denver.

The talented group cleverly cultivated the era's folk-rock and country-rock feeling of getting back to the basics of country living with the aid of visual images displayed on the theatre's backdrop. The males harmonized vocals on Denver's first love song "For Bobbie" to great effect. "Country Roads" shifted to a female lead voice with the others harmonized to perfection. "Fly Away" was lead by a beautiful female voice and a carefully balanced arrangement of supportive vocals with a ministerial tone. "Rocky Mountain High" created a comfortable image of rural utopia as the Rocky Mountains flashed in the background. Edgier emotions emerged as the singers tackled the love and war-themed "Matthew/Weapons." The first half ended with the ecological dream song "Calypso," with its high yodel set against images of the sea.

The second half started with a rousing "Thank God, I'm a Country Boy" and a playful "Grandma's Feather Bed" with some fine harmony singing and dancing. The "Love/Leave Medley" featured "Back Home Again" vocally interwoven with "Leavin' On A Jet Plane." "Sunshine on My Shoulders" showcased the powerful gospel voice of female vocalist Vernae Taylor as a sunny-scened backdrop lightened the stage. The classic "Poems, Prayers and Promised" closed the evening. A short film clip of John Denver singing "Yellowstone" at a campire followed, after which the cast sang an encore of "Rocky Mountain High."

AeroPlane 1929, Low Anthem & More

Pioneer Arts Center of Easthampton
January 26, 2008
By Eric Sutter

Music is sound arranged into pleasing or interesting patterns. This evening proved three distinctively different sounds could co-exist in an often inspiring manner. The triple bill featured a fine array of diverse talent from the Pioneer Valley and beyond. First up was Aeroplane 1929 from Springfield and New Haven. The 5-piece band at first glance looked like any number of indie-rock bands. The sudden impact of the opening song from their 2007 CD, "The Holy Ghost," with its persuasive sound permeated the core of the listening audience. Acoustic guitar slowly built the musical tension with the addition of lap steel, electric guitar, keyboard and cornet in succession. It was topped off with Alex Mazzafero's singing the red, white and blues. The quintet performed songs strong enough to break through radio's stonewall. The stampeding "Hounds at Heels" showcased a garage rocker with drummer Wil Mulhern's steady beat. Insightful lyrics and melodic guitar riffs evoked and transcended what could be ready radio play. The title cut, "The Holy Ghost" began with subtle finger snaps as the music swelled up to an upbeat crescendo of electric guitar and keyboard accented by a pleasant glockenspiel solo from Wil Mulhern.

Low Anthem from Providence performed in a mellow down easy alt-country style complete with a three part harmony sound. Diverse and versatile in styles that ranged from folk/country to roots rock, the trio employed acoustic guitar, harmonica, stand-up bass, banjo and clarinet to amazing effect. "The Ballad of the Broken Bones" and "A Weary Horse Can Hide the Pain" were moody pieces that lulled the audience into intense lyric listening. Multi-instrumentalist Jocelyn Adams bowed a banjo and played a clarinet solo in the course of the evening. Their vocal harmonies with the man out front were what shined and had the audience singing the A.P. Carter classic "Keep on the Sunny Side." moving bowed bass solo.

Vocalist Julia Suriano and acoustic guitarist Steve Biegner joined forces to enlighten and inspire with their wonderful music. The pop love song, "February's Moon Rise" was beautiful. Most of the evening was shared between this girl's gorgeous voice and this guy's brilliant guitar playing duets. The urgency of "The Water that Cut the Canyon" exposed their wide range in voice. It's not surprising with this much talent that they will play the lead roles in "West Side Story" at the Academy of Music on April 23-27.

Elvis Birthday Party Bash

Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield
January 19
By Eric Sutter

"We will all be received in Graceland"... so goes the line of the song by Paul Simon. The Elvis Birthday Bash starring Scot Bruce as the young Elvis and Mike Albert as Elvis of the 70s proved the spirit of Elvis Presley transcended the ranks of mortal fame. Since his death in 1977, this ever-changing 20th Century icon has survived and spawned countless Elvis impersonators to keep the Elvis mythical status growing in the new century.

Scot Bruce uncannily resembled the young Elvis dressed in black slacks, blue sports coat, black and white two-tone shoes and a pompadour haircut. Along with the 7 piece Big E Band, he strummed his Martin guitar and shook his hips to early hits including "Heartbreak Hotel", "Don't Be Cruel" and "Love Me Tender." Halfway through, he pared down to a trio and performed the first Sun singles, "That's All Right (Mama) and "Blue Moon of Kentucky." Other hits followed as the band rocked "A Fool Such As I" and Bruce crooned "Can't Help Falling In Love." They ended with the swivel of "Hound Dog" as Bruce swaggered like the Fifties Elvis rocker.

Mike Albert proved Elvis has survived in more than one form. Albert added a female back-up singer and celebrated his 70's Vegas showman Elvis. Dressed in a Tiger decorated white jumpsuit with bell bottoms he cut into "C.C. Ryder" and the smash from 1972, "Burning Love." Albert's charisma and ability to involve the audience proved to be a crowd pleaser. As he sang the ballad "Are You Lonesome Tonight" he beckoned a female to join him on stage for a sing and swing. His powerful voice lent itself well to "It's Now or Never" and "My Way." His versatile voice cried the "Steamroller Blues" and gospel "How Great Thou Art" equally well. During the swamp-rocker "Polk Salad Annie" he relished it's stop-start rhythm which gave him an opportunity to demonstrate his karate routines during the instrumental breaks while the exaggerated imagery of flashing lights worked it's magic. A couple of songs, "In the Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds," pushed a strong emotional response during the Comeback Special segment of the show.

In true Vegas style, "Viva Las Vegas" veered into cabaret-style slickness with the ensemble dramatically successful. The closing "American Trilogy" was thrillingly loud but soothing as the American Flag descended on to the center of the stage above the entertainers. Happy 73rd Birthday, Elvis.

SSO Classical Folk

Symphony Hall, Springfield
January 12
By Wendy Sutter

On Saturday evening, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra offered up their version of "Classically Folk" featuring the works of Aaron Copland and Antonin Dvorak.

Maestro Rhodes and company opened with a rousing rendition of Copland's Rodeo Suite. Written as a ballet showcasing the talents of the infamous Agnes de Mille, Rodeo is an ode to the glories of the Old West and its pioneering spirit. The four-part piece follows the misadventures of a lonely cowgirl searching for love. Permeated with the spirit of Americana, SSO aptly captured the rousing, toe-tapping flavor of Copland's work.

The second selection for the evening featured the considerable talents of Michael Sussman, principal clarinetist for SSO. Mr. Sussman, whose curriculum vitae is of global proportion, impressed the audience with his interpretation of Copland's Clarinet Concerto. Originally commissioned by the late Benny Goodman, the Concerto is a dizzyingly technical work whose appeal lies in the hands of the soloist. Delivered with perfection by Mr. Sussman and company, the Concerto is a spirited piece of modern "classical" music.

Dvorak's Symphony No. 7 closed out the evening. Symphony No. 7 was also a commissioned work written at the request of London's Royal Philharmonic Society for the 1885 musical season. Full of nationalistic sentiment, the work exudes a feeling of Slavic pride and folk spirit associated with many of Dvorak's works. Written in grand style, the symphony is often larger than life. This is a bold work that captivates not only the senses but also the emotions of the listener, who is drawn to the haunting melodies that flow from movement to movement as the orchestra surges forward then softly pulls back. Maestro Rhodes and his ensemble shone brilliantly during this performance and once again brought the audience to their feet. A sparkling ending to an otherwise dull January evening!

Hartford Symphony Masterworks

The Bushnell, Hartford
January 9
By Donna Bailey-Thompson

Today’s inconveniences of international travel were bypassed by the Hartford Symphony saturating a Masterpiece Series evening with the romantic music of 19th century ebullient Vienna.

In his pre-concert talk, Conductor Edward Cumming described "the first half of the program as formal and the second half as fun." The sum was one hundred percent delightful.

Johann Strauss, Jr.’s "Overture to Die Fledermaus" (literal translation: flying mouse) introduced the spirit of the effervescent Viennese who, praise be, escaped being handicapped by Victorian rigidity. The orchestra’s sensitivity to the operetta’s jinks (both high and low) created invisible actors behaving deliciously silly and slamming-doors naughty.

The contrast between the score for the comical farce and Franz Lehar’s operetta, "The Land of Smiles" was stunning from the moment tenor soloist Matthew Plenk began singing the aria "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz!" ("My whole heart belongs to you!"). The audience, spellbound, absorbed Plenk’s strong tone and shading of the heartrending longing for the love of his life. In spite of vigorous applause, the clamoring for more of his voice was not to be. No wonder this young man will make his Metropolitan Opera debut this season as the Voice of the Young Sailor in "Tristan and Isolde"– the first voice that is heard as the curtain rises.

Because Cumming’s teacher had been a student of Richard Strauss, amusing anecdotes now have been passed along during the pre-concert talk. (If you weren’t there, you missed out.) Cumming also waxed eloquent about the four guest soloists, extolling them for their "immaculate intonation" and intelligence of mind and heart. During the suite and final scene from "Der Rosenkavalier" by Richard Strauss, the commingling voices of the three sopranos – Adina Aaron, Janna Baty (mezzo), and Amanda Forsythe – gave me chills.

Following intermission, a baker’s dozen students from the Hartt Music Theater Program shared their youthful dynamics, especially the all-male kick line of "You’re Back Where You Belong" from Lehar’s "The Merry Widow."

HSO’s New Year’s welcoming concert bubbled.

Arlo Guthrie

Symphony Hall
Springfield
November 17
By Eric Sutter

The opening Springfield Pops concert with Arlo Guthrie and the Symphony Orchestra was well done with the help of guest conductor John Nardolillo who recorded with Guthrie on his 2006 CD, "In Times Like These" with the University of Kentucky's Symphony Orchestra. Nardolillo opened with a lush Gershwin's "American in Paris" to great effect. The Symphony added new dimensions to Guthrie's songs providing appropriate shadows or light to the folk gospel "Last Train" and the harmonica and guitar based, "Darkest Hour." They strolled through a traditional reading of "St. James Infirmary" with a horn drenched funeral march and Guthrie's ragtimey fingerpicking guitar. The ballad, "Last To Leave" featured Guthrie on piano and majestic swelling chords for maximum impact. The strings of the orchestra complemented his folk-pop style admirably. He finished the first half with the ticklish delight of a nameless ragtime piano piece.

After a brief intermission, Guthrie opened with his epic song, "Alice's Restaurant" the classic anti-Establishment folk song that helped define the Woodstock era and launched him to the forefront of the anti-war movement. The year 2007 officially marks the 40th anniversary of the "Alice's Restaurant" recording and has become not only and anti-war anthem but a Thanksgiving anthem as well. With Guthrie on piano, the "City of New Orleans" was performed, happily it's rails made new with brass and strings from the orchestra. His love ballad to his wife of 39 years, "You Are The Song" was rendered with affection. With an accompanied monologue, he followed with the title cut of his latest CD, "In Times Like These" which is about the Katrina disaster. The inevitable "This Land is Your Land" became an audience sing-a-long. Woody Guthrie's "My Peace" was in good hands with Arlo's cover. Guthrie shared a heartfelt childhood story about his father's friend, Lead Belly which set up the finale, an audience sing-a-long "Good Night Irene."

Hartford Symphony Orchestra

The Bushnell, Hartford
November 10
By Donna Bailey-Thompson

Exquisite – the one word description of the Masterworks’ program from the first note through the last of the Hartford Symphony’s performance under the baton of Director Edward Cumming. During the Concert Preview, Cumming stated, "This is not your grandfather’s program," referring to the 35-minute length of the opening piece followed by an intermission and then the sequence of the piano concerto and two musically enjoined pieces by different composers – "a program that stretches the orchestra and you." For the audience, a painless stretch.

"Petrouchka, a Ballet in Four Tableaux,"presented Stravinsky in all his glistering glory. The colorful energy of a fair was easy to visualize – the strolling crowds, a dancing bear – and then the fabled puppet himself, Petrouchka (Russian), Pierrot (French), Pinocchio (Italian), and Punch (English). He loves a ballerina; she’s infatuated with a Moor, and the Moor kills Petrouchka. Attending the Concert Preview netted musical insights, e.g., the "Petrouchka chord" – the use of two different keys at the same time (bitonality). While the first clarinet played the notes of the C major chord, the second clarinet played the same melody but in the F sharp major chord. The playing of Margreet Francis at the piano – uneven rhythms sharply delineated – was nothing short of "Wow!"

Following intermission, George Gershwin’s Concerto in F major was performed with technical aplomb by guest soloist Louise Bessette at the piano but who lacked the expressiveness – the musical soul – heard only minutes earlier in the playing by the HSO’s Margreet Francis. Consequently, the concerto’s passion was generated by the orchestra.

Pure bliss completed the concert beginning with Debussy’s Prelude to "The Afternoon of a Faun" which Maestro Cumming had described as "one of the most perfect pieces ever written" and in response to the opening notes of a poetic flute said, "Wherever that is, take me there!" Only a slight pause separated its ending with the beginning of Ravel’s "La Valse," a tightly crafted piece that echoed the not-so-innocent political dance leading to the First World War, its brutality exemplified by drums rumbling like distant thunder which built geometrically into the cacophony of senseless war represented by waltzing gone amok.

This evening was a triumph for the HSO.

Man and Nature

Springfield Symphony Hall
November 3
By Wendy Sutter

On Saturday night classical music aficionados from across the Pioneer Valley were treated to another rousing performance by Maestro Kevin Rhodes and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. The evening's theme Man and Nature included works by Smetana, Bernstein and Beethoven.

The program opened with an enchanting rendition of Smetana's The Moldau, a lilting tribute to the river of the composer's native Bohemia. What began as a murmuring of solo strings conjuring images of a meandering brook slowly gathered speed as the entire orchestra joined together in the birth of a triumphant musical maelstrom cascading headlong to its astounding finish. The Moldau is a perfect example of the sentimentality heard in most symphonic poems: the music pulls at the heart-strings of the listener who yearns for those care-free, idyllic days spent in the company of nature alone.

Second on the program for the evening was Leonard Bernstein's Serenade for Violin, String Orchestra, Harp and Percussion. Bernstein's composition is a musical ode to Plato's Symposium, a conversation amongst friends on the "nature" of love. The winding solo violin slyly manipulated the musical dissertation throughout its five movements only to be answered in return by an orchestral cacophony of objections and assents reminiscent of any good philosophical argument. Guest soloist Glenn Dicterow delivered a performance of technical perfection and lyrical aplomb that brought the entire house to their feet.

The final selection was Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F Major. Like the Smetana work, Beethoven's symphony is considered a symphonic poem meant to call upon pleasant imagery for the listener. Indeed, such was the case. As the orchestra flowed effortlessly from one movement to the next, the audience was transported back in time to a more "romantic" era of music replete with echoes of happy country folk enjoying the offerings of nature. Certainly a fitting ending for any classical connoisseur!

Nielsen, Mendelssohn, Sibelius

Hartford Symphony Orchestra
The Bushnell Performing Arts Center
Hartford
By Donna Bailey-Thompson

Although Carl Nielsen's "Helios Overture" is a musical representation of the sun's daily journey, the piece could double as a musical essay. Both the opening statement (pre-dawn) and the conclusion (twilight into darkness) are virtually identical – a deep, resonance created by cellos and double basses. In between, the essay is fueled by the morning's energy that surges to high noon and then lessens until the sun's rays are obliterated by the horizon. Nielsen included this descriptive note on the score: "Stillness and darkness – the sun rises with a peaceful song of praise – wanders its golden way – sinks silently into the sea." The concluding measures – the continuous bowing of the cellos and double basses – imparted a soothing reverie, a meditation, until a few eager-beavers shattered the meticulously crafted mood by clapping, Chastened by the audience's silence, the clappers stopped, and under Conductor Edward Cumming's unflappable exterior, the bowing never stopped until it reached its designated conclusion.

When the exquisite Rachel Lee's musical education began at age four, she and the violin must have experienced love at first pluck because at age 19, what soars from this pairing is similar to the maturing love of a long-married couple who are still crazy about one another. Her interpretation of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto soothed, swept, soared, and sprinkled surprises.

The HSO's playing of Sibelius' Symphony No. 2 demonstrated, repeatedly, why this stirring work written at the beginning of the 20th century continues to hold audiences captive. Although Sibelius denied that the symphony was inspired by Finnish patriotism, for some that speculation endures. Following the death of his youngest daughter in 1900, an unidentified writer has noted that Sibelius' drinking "changed from youthful celebrating into something more dangerous." The anguish expressed within much of the symphony could be a father's outpouring of grief and/or anger with his growing dependence upon alcohol. Regardless of the composer's inspiration, Maestro Cumming and the HSO joined their forces to celebrate Sibelius' genius to such a degree that the emotionally wrenching theme within the final movement challenged my ability to suppress tears.

Some concert programs hold together better than others and – subjectively speaking – this Masterpiece Concert was superb.

Rachmaninoff and Mahler

SSO
Symphony Hall
Springfield
September 29
By Donna Bailey-Thompson

The opening night gala of Springfield’s Symphony Orchestra offered an evening of contrasts – in apparel, from glittery chic to tailored casual – and in music, either heart-embracing or mentally-challenging. Under the baton of Kevin Rhodes (a gift from the universe to the SSO and to Springfield) the performance demonstrated that the SSO is a musical force worthy of accolades, regardless of how affected (or disaffected) one may be by the program.

Guest artist pianist Ralph Votapek’s interpretation of Rachmaninoff’s beloved Piano Concerto No.2 in C Minor (remember "Full moon and empty arms..."?) filled Symphony Hall with one musical hug after another. His disciplined technique rendered a clean concerto, as opposed to muddied sentimentality, thus enhancing its passion. His cascading notes were waterfalls of crystals. In emotional sync with the orchestra, this full-bodied concerto was an ideal de-stressor that could put shrinks out of business.

Whereas Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No.5, performed brilliantly by dedicated musicians, could have passed as the stream of consciousness of an emotionally conflicted mental health client. Much of Mahler’s music is polarizing; some have said that it engenders "fierce adoration to outright dislike." It’s not for sissies. The opening trumpet fanfare heralded that important music was to follow – doleful, tormented, a touch of a waltz, more anguish. Throughout this long symphony, Maestro Rhodes’ cajoled the musicians to honor the details. The final passages shot the audience to its feet and the conductor off the podium who after kissing the hand of the Concertmaster, immediately sprinted into the horns (I think: my sightlines were compromised) where he hugged musicians. Meanwhile, the applause continued, smiles everywhere. Kevin Rhodes and his devoted musicians had delivered a winning concert.

The Valley Advocate’s full page ad in the program declares in white ink on black, "We think the Maestro is the man." They got that right.

All-Gershwin Program

Tanglewood, Lenox
August 26
By Shera Cohen

Summer is officially over. Although there are remaining weeks on the calendar, the rumor that summer is still with us is a lie. Here is the fact. The final musical note, the last cheers, and the fourth standing ovation at Tanglewood’s culminating concert mark the true end to the season.

Knowing that today was the last (but just for this year) of orchestral excellence at Tanglewood was a bittersweet occasion. Conductor Keith Lockhart led his Boston Pops in one of its most exciting concerts to date. Playing before a full shed and full lawn, there was little doubt that everyone present left with a smile and perhaps humming. A combination of several factors made this concert a huge success, with none being more important than any of the others; i.e. The Pops, Lockhart, Gershwin, familiar music, Brian Stokes Mitchell, a cool day, and no rain.

Three of Gershwin’s most famous works made for one-half the program. Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaubet laid his fingers on the keyboard to, undoubtedly, create the sounds exactly as Gershwin intended for “I Got Rhythm” and “Rhapsody in Blue.” Each piece included solo sections, and balancing acts between dramatic and humorous, slow and fast, and symphonic and jazzy music. Gershwin, who died at age 39, was certainly a genius, and it is sad to think what else he could have written besides these two classics and “An American in Paris.” The latter ended the afternoon at Tanglewood. Even without images of Gene Kelly in our heads, this piece deserves its lofty and honored place in music history. The Pops and Lockhart also +deserved their numerous standing ovations.

The other half of the performance were Gershwin songs led by two of current Broadway’s best – Marin Mazzie and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Most of the music was light, as the two sang solos and duets. Mitchell had fun with his audience. Also, he can probably hold a note longer than any living singer. He’s handsome, charismatic, and a PBS favorite.

A couple of words of advice – instead of lamenting summer’s departure, remember Tanglewood’s music in the woods. For those only reading what they missed, there is always next year.

Vivaldi and Bach

Aston Magna Summer Concerts
Simon’s Rock College
Great Barrington
June 30
Debra Tinkham

Aston Magna is the Mecca of Baroque excellence. In celebration of their 35th Anniversary, one of the founding fathers of Aston Magna, Stanley Ritchie, graced us with music of Vivaldi and J.S. Bach. In addition, Maestro Ritchie brought five of his students; four violinists and one harpsichordist. Not on the program, was a sweet treat by Ritchie’s students, a four movement Concerto by Telemann. The students were talented, performed effortlessly, all well-degreed, but, they were a testimony that, with age, comes experience and wisdom beyond a young performer’s ability. Given time and experience, for sure they will one day be as awesome as the regular talents of Aston Magna.

Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, spring and summer, were performed at the onset of the program, followed by Bach’s Concerto in C minor, in three movements, for oboe and violin. Stephen Hammer on oboe, and Daniel Stepner on violin, were, as usual, at their best. There are just no words to describe Stepner’s enthusiasm, artistic talent and pure love of the music. Hammer and Stepner performed flawlessly.

The finale was Vivaldi’s autumn and winter. A passionate and perfect Vivaldi year. Picture, if you will a very fine, hand-blown wine glass. The end product is clarity, beauty, delicacy and void of imperfections. Before this end product became a beautiful wine glass, though, it took years and hours to perfect such excellence. Please mark your calendar for July 7, 2007, at Simon’s Rock College, for an evening of more Baroque excellence.