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 Smothers Brothers & Springfield Symphony Orchestra

Symphony Hall, Springfield
April 12
By Shera Cohen

Tommy is age 70 and Dickie is age 68. Yet, the Smothers Brothers performance might as well have taken place in the 1960s. The “boys” never skipped a beat in impeccable timing, topical humor, irreverence, and their well-known stage personas. By the way, each aged very well.

Tommy’s trademark stupidity and naiveté bounced off brother Dickie’s exasperation and seriousness just as they had done throughout the past 50 years. Yes, a half-century! The audience got exactly what they expected in style, comedy, and music. Which was more perfect – the material or the delivery? It’s a toss up. Each went hand-in-hand to create a terrific show.

There was simply too much to remember for this critic to write, because the performance was extremely fast-paced and funny. Among the highlights were the following: the trilogy of “dog songs” coupled with a lame dog joke; the feigned gratefulness to perform in Springfield; and Tommy’s avocation as a trained pilot. As his brother commented, “Just because you accumulated thousands of skymiles, it doesn’t make you an airline pilot.”

Sometimes, it’s forgotten that the brothers are also very skilled musicians. With Tommy on guitar and Dickie on bass, their music and voices (Dickie, the better singer) make for an important part of the act – that is until Tommy always interrupts. The duo never managed through an entire song, but that’s what the routine is all about.

When music segued into comedy, that was the best of the routines; i.e. a tender Spanish song reverted to German, then yodeling (Tommy’s the culprit, of course). Another “normal” melody turned its notes to “Dueling Guitars,” only this time guitar vs. piano.

Special appearance by The Yo Yo Man (Tommy) and Voice of Yo (Dickie) had both back and forth on stage performing yo yo tricks and extemporaneous commentary. Who would think that a yo yo could be that much fun to watch?

A video of the brothers’ lives capped off the evening. The longest section showed excerpts from “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” including anti-Vietnam scripts, commentary by Pat Paulson, and being axed in the prime of the series. Thank goodness, the boys never really went away.

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.

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!

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!

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.