A Fiddle and a Riddle

You can read my review of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra's final concert of the 2007-2008 season in the May 29th issue of Metro Pulse, or in the newly-designed online version of Metro Pulse. The concert featured Nicoló Paganini's Concerto No. 1 in D Major for Violin and Orchestra and Edward Elgar's Enigma Variations.

An Afternoon with the KSCO

Although last Sunday’s concert by the Knoxville Symphony Chamber Orchestra was titled Songs of Stephen Foster, it was the other four works on the afternoon’s program that perhaps shared a broad stylistic theme. And, of the five works on the bill, only one wasn’t a KSO premiere—Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 1 in D Major (“Classical”). More on the Prokofiev a bit later.

Performing the featured works, "Eight Songs by Stephen Foster", were two young yet very talented singers: soprano Teresa Alzadon and tenor Josh Phelps. Ms. Alzadon is a current member of the Knoxville Opera Studio and was recently heard as Violetta in La Traviata and the Governess in The Turn of the Screw, both UT Opera Theatre productions. Mr. Phelps is a recent Vocal Performance graduate of UT. While Mr. Phelps and Ms. Alzadon each have their own intriguing style and approach, both captured and held the listener’s rapt attention, an essential quality for successful song performance. The song selection mixed the familiar (Mr. Phelps’ “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair”) and the unfamiliar (Ms. Alzadon’s “Was My Brother in the Battle?”) in a way that gave a fresh view of the now iconic American songwriter.

The program opened with Façade Suite No. 2 for Orchestra by William Walton. This suite was excerpted from Walton’s own Façade, a work for a “reciter” and six instruments, which received its first performances in 1922–23, performed with the poet, Edith Sitwell. The Suite No. 2 (1938), arranged by Walton for small orchestra, has six movements that are marked by a whimsical, bouncy, jazzy style full of percussion effects and interesting little phrases for woodwinds. Its small-orchestra feel permits individual instrumental color—particularly woodwinds and trumpet—to stand out and shine. The one unpleasant area was a rough and raspy bassoon tone.

I freely confess to being a big admirer of Prokofiev’s “Classical” symphony, the Symphony No. 1 in D Major. I must also confess, then, that I was quite disappointed with this performance of it. Richman’s tempos were not excessive, nor did he appear to spring any surprises. Despite that, the orchestra seemed ill prepared throughout, but particularly in the Finale movement. Admittedly, the movement is quite the workout. The violins, perhaps rushing to keep up, began to lose intonation; the bassoon was not blending with the ensemble. This is a little sad for me, since the KSO may not get back to this piece for some time.

Maestro Lucas Richman’s own Salutation No. 5, written to honor KSO contributor Elizabeth Margriet Koester, opened the second half of the program. This was a really pleasant piece, full of intriguing contrasts. The program closed with the extremely entertaining Café Neon: Fantasy on Greek Songs and Dances by Steven Karidoyanes, which turned out to be a showcase for the considerable talents of principal clarinetist Gary Sperl.

Berlioz Requiem

You can read my review of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra & Knoxville Choral Society performance of Hector Berlioz' Requiem in the May 1st issue of Metro Pulse or in the online Metro Pulse. Thanks for reading.