Naumburg Orchestral Concert (7/11/2017)

The Knights
Eric Jacobsen, conductor
Alex Sopp, flute

Fantasia Upon One Note (1680) – Henry Purcell (1659–1695)
Common Tones in Simple Time (1979) – John Adams (b. 1947)
Flute Concerto with Orchestra (World Premiere) (2017?) – Judd Greenstein (b. 1979)
Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550 (1788) I. Molto allegro; II. Andante; III. Menuetto. Allegro–Trio; Finale. Allegro assai – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)

The first piece was played sans conductor and while it was serene, it wasn’t exactly on one note only; the tonality though was definitely static. A livelier section followed, but still with that pervasive one-note feel. Then the conductor arrived. Huh? The first piece seamlessly segued into the Adams, which was built on the same model as the first piece. This one had a more rhythmic range plus a few more dissonances. It was minimalist (lots of repetitive tiny phrases) but not in a grating way. Still, it didn’t move me in any strong way, positive or negative. It seemed like the soundtrack to a train ride—but I didn’t know how long the journey would be or where I would end up.

Alex Sopp is a member of The Knights who stepped out as soloist for the world premiere of Mr. Greenstein’s flute concerto. He was on hand to give us a little insight and, as many (I hope) of you know, I am always happy to hear living composers comment on their compositions. My first reaction was of rapid solo flute phrases against a relatively calm orchestra. What followed was a wide open sound, similar to that of Copland, yet the insistent flute continued. The varied rhythms and tempos were interesting enough but it still meandered and wandered a bit too much for me. From where to where? Your guess would be as good as mine.

The Mozart opened with a very familiar, to me, theme. Of note, the orchestra played conductorless and standing, cellos excepted, with pleasant tunes that were a mix of gentle and energetic. The al fresco setting added to my enjoyment. The second movement was less familiar, relatively calm and pastoral but with bites of fuller, dramatic flourishes. The fireflies contributed to this. The third movement had varied dance rhythms with tunes that had a definite heft to them, before finishing with a quieter section. The last movement sort of snuck up on me but then built in volume and intensity—it bubbled along without being frivolous. (Hmmm, maybe I actually like mature Mozart.) It was still formulaic but it had a little more to say.

I’m a big fan of the Naumburg Concerts, and The Knights have been here for nine seasons. I’m not certain that I’ve seen all of their appearances but I know that I’ve been here for most of them. A big thank-you to them, the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts and WQXR (the concerts are broadcast live, in case you can’t make it to Central Park). There is a lot of quality free stuff out there, if you make the effort to seek it out. (Off my soap box now.)

ConcertMeister