Article Contributed on: 1/19/2009 6:45:23 AM
The concert given Friday night, January 16, by the Colorado Symphony Orchestra under the leadership of Maestro
Jeffrey Kahane, was so exceptional in so many ways that it will be difficult to mention everything in a small space. The program opened with a newly revised version of "Pasion incesante" by Colorado's own Dr.
Luis Jorge Gonzalez.
Luis Gonzalez' compositions for orchestra, chamber ensembles, choir and solo instruments have been performed in concert halls and festivals of Europe, the U.S.A., South America and Japan. His works have been presented at the International Forum of Composers in Paris, France (1981, 1985 and 1991); some of his compositions have been published by Belwin Mills, Sounding Solitudes Press, Don Henry Music (U.S.A.) and Berben (Italy) and Dr. Gonzalez has recordings on Opus One Label, New Arts Recordings, Lejos del Paraiso (Mexico) Consejo Argentino de la Mi sica Collection.
Gonzalez has received many prizes and awards, among them: a Guggenheim Fellowship (1978-79); two First Prizes from the International Composition Competition of the Percussive Arts Society, U.S.A. (1975 and 1979), Prizes from "Fordo Nacional de las Artes," Argentina (1975 and 1976). These are among the many.
He has received commissions from the U.S.A., Europe, Central and South America.
Gonzalez has taught theory at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and theory and composition at the University of San Juan, Argentina, the University of Colorado at Boulder, U.S.A., where he was a faculty member at from 1981 to 2003.
"Pasion incesante" is a beautiful work that has a very dramatic opening provided by the strings playing between the bridge and the tailpiece. This produces a raspy sound that adds a great deal of tension and uncertainty. However, soon there is a very mellifluous clarinet solo which is shared by the flute floating above the strings. The work is in a highly modified sonata allegro form - that is to say it has three main sections: Exposition, Development, and Recapitulation. Throughout the Exposition and Development, the tension and a tango rhythm continue to build, only to be followed by a new element in the Recapitulation (hence the "modified" sonata allegro-form). This new element is a very pastorale like English horn melody over rhythmic low strings, which produces a truly ominous but beautiful effect. This is a terrific work, and I could not help but compare it to what I think Ravel would sound like if he were alive and composing today. He would, no doubt, use more complicated harmonies, but this is one of the most tonal pieces that I have heard from Dr. Gonzalez. In the program notes, Gonzalez says that... "The work is permeated by an overall sense of joy of living and optimism...," which it is, but it is also full of dramatic undercurrents.
The second work on the program was Beethoven's Symphony Nr. 8. It was one of the best performances of this symphony that I have ever heard from any orchestra. Maestro Kahane has been responsible for such a marvelous change in the orchestra which has resulted in new excitement, new energy, and new precision from all of the sections. The phrasing in the first movement was absolutely perfect with incredible rhythmic jabs (sforzandos) that are so characteristic of Beethoven.
The second movement was very interesting because Kahane seemed to conduct the phrases more than I have noticed in other performances. His motions were very fluid with subtle wrist motions which emphasized the beat. According to what I have read, this is the way Liszt conducted, and some of his orchestra members had trouble following him. But this was not the case with the CSO. They were with Kahane every step of the way. I would also like to point out that the CSO has improved to the point under Kahane that hearing them is like listening to eighty soloists, all very happy to play together. The second movement was melodious, cheerful, and sounded very carefree.
The third movement of the Eighth is a minuet that begins with a somewhat driving repetition of F down to C with sforzandos marked over the F. Then comes the melody which is very lyrical above the rhythm of the minuet. Kahane gave the melody marvelous sweep and emotion.
But it was the fourth movement of the Beethoven that left me sitting with my mouth agape. Kahane's tempo was truly amazing. I have never heard a live performance done so fast - and it was perfect. The orchestra simply played their souls out. And I also wonder why the 8th Symphony is not heard as often as the others. It is a very demanding work, but it is abundantly clear that the CSO was up to the challenge - the rests in the woodwinds were very precise. And the attack after rests and fermatas was perfectly together. Kahane really demonstrated what the CSO is capable of.
The final piece on the program was Osvaldo Golijov's (pronounced Goli-hoff) wonderful "Azul" for cello and Orchestra. It was composed for the 125th Anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 2006. At that performance, Yo-Yo Ma was the cellist. But I tell you here and now, that the cellist at Friday's performance was truly amazing. Ms. Alisa Weilerstein, age 26 (!) was certainly up to the task. She is a fantastic virtuoso who gets the same amount of tone out of the cello that Janos Starker does.
This is a four movement work - a modified concerto, really - wherein the first movement is subdued and serene. The second movement is very ephemeral. In fact, it reminded me of the lines from the Rubyat "...ephemeral light, ephemeral life..." At this point, it is necessary to point out that in front of the podium sat Michael Ward-Bergeman who has invented an electronic accordion which he calls the Hyper-Accordion. Read into this the word synthesizer, but it is like no other. It is a terrific instrument, capable of all kinds of sounds, and it is truly effective. To the right of the podium sat Mr. Jamey Haddad and Mr. Keita Ogawa, both extraordinary percussionists with outstanding awards and grants in the world of music. Their virtuosity certainly equaled Weilerstein's.
The third movement was a cadenza for the cello, hyper-accordion, and percussion. It a demonstration of not only the great musicality these performers possessed, but the startling variety of the instrumental combination - a superb tribute to Osvaldo Golijov. The fourth movement of this work is meant to invoke the limitlessness of deep space, and the orchestra once again joined the aforementioned soloists to create the same ephemeral and quiet characteristic of expectation.
I have never heard the CSO give so much so willingly. This applied to the entire concert. Whether they know it or not, at this point, all those who attend the CSO concerts will surely miss Maestro Jeffrey Kahane and the profound positive influence he has had on this orchestra. Oh, and one other small point. The program contained photos of all the performers. But where were photos of the composers? After all, they wrote the music that was so breathtakingly performed.