Woo-hoo! I made it to all five concerts this summer, the last of which was with the East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO), in a well-played eclectic program.
La Oración del Torero, “The Bullfighter’s Prayer” (1925) –
Joaquín Turina (1882–1949)
Selection of Madrigals – Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643)
String Theory (written for ECCO) (2015) – Pierre Jalbert (1967–)
Five Folk Melodies (1952) – Witold Lutoslawski (1913–1994)
Serenade for Strings in E Major, Op. 22 (1875) – I. Moderato;
II. Menuetto: Allegro con moto; III. Scherzo: Vivace; IV. Larghetto; V. Finale: Allegro vivace – Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) [not b. 1983, as printed in the program!]
The Turina, new to me, was originally composed for four lutes and was a mood piece with a touch of Spanish flair. Not quite conductor free, it was led by a female leader in the first violin position. The leaders changed throughout the program. It was pleasant, if lacking the feeling of a solid arc, and it ended very quietly. Almost to the point that you weren’t really sure the piece was over.
A different female led the Monteverdi Madrigals. I liked the structure and dance-like rhythms of the first one, the more lyrical, chorale feel of the second, and after a layered introduction, the sprightly and solid feel of the third. One doesn’t usually hear that much Monteverdi, and I’m glad we did.
After retuning, there was a male leader for the Jalbert. It began (Partials) with a modern feel, including swoops and harmonics (different microtones played on individual strings), and had a mix of pizzicato and rhythmic, driving sections. The second movement (Timeless) was much more static, with some very pretty, if dissonant, sounds, plus a couple of dramatic, almost angry-sounding sections. And the third (Rhythmus) certainly lived up to its name, with the orchestra sometimes providing a pulsing feel, and sometimes with fingers flying over the strings. Overall, the work was fairly successful but I don’t think I’ll be searching out another hearing any time soon.
In the Lutoslawski, led by a female, the small individual melodies seemed to be more influenced by folk elements as opposed to actually being folk melodies. Each section was a little gem that included some richness in the middle.
The Dvořák is one of my most favorite pieces and it was a joy to hear it again. Led by a male (possibly the same as from the Jalbert), the opening was gentle and melodic, with a great fullness, compositionally, incorporating tunes that build complete movements. It was light and graceful, but still had its own heft. With nice segues between movements, the second was dance-like but without being too light. The first and second movements had very similar endings. The third was light and bright, with a contrasting middle section and then a great build to the end. The fourth was very lyrical, without being sappy—with each movement Dvořák builds on the opening to expand the movement, and this one closed with a quiet grandeur. The fifth was, well, just a romp. And why not?
All in all a most satisfying ending to a summer (or any) concert series. I’m already looking forward to Naumburg’s 112th season!
ConcertMeister
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