November 3, 2012
by Michael J. Moran
“I never need much of an excuse to do an entire Russian
program,” SSO Music Director Kevin Rhodes recently told the Springfield
Republican. For the second classical concert of its current season he led the
orchestra in three pieces which reflect the wide range of emotion and
orchestral color of Russian music in performances which fully delivered on the
“electrifying” promise of the program title.
The program opened with Overture to Borodin’s opera
“Prince Igor.” Left unfinished at the composer’s death in 1887, it was
completed by his colleague Glazunov from sketches and a memory of Borodin’s
performance of it on the piano. Its mix of Russian nationalism with exotic
suggestions of the opera’s Central Asian setting was deftly captured in an
exuberant account that featured strong, cutting brass and warm, lush strings.
Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 reunited Rhodes with his
undergraduate piano teacher Ralph Votapek, who won the gold medal at the first
Van Cliburn International Piano Competition 50 years ago playing the same
concerto. His long experience with this 1921 piece, written mostly in Brittany
and premiered in Chicago with the composer as soloist, and his obvious comfort
with his former student yielded a performance of both dazzling virtuosity and
relaxed lyricism. At age 73, Votapek’s manual dexterity is exceeded only by his
interpretive maturity, and the large audience rewarded his efforts with a
standing ovation.
Intermission was followed by an exhilarating rendition of
Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2, nicknamed the “Little Russian” symphony because
it quotes three Ukrainian folk tunes. Less familiar than the composer’s last
three symphonies, its mostly original melodies also sound more folk-like than
any of his other works. The opening motif was beautifully shaped by principal
horn Laura Klock, and woodwind and percussion players were prominently featured
throughout the program. Principal Christopher Cullen gave ravishing voice to the
solo clarinet melody that opens the Prokofiev, whose staccato quality was even
enhanced by castanets.
The maestro threw himself into his conducting duties with
typical abandon all evening, and the orchestra responded with playing of
impressive polish and passion.
