BSO's Alsop aptly combines past and present
The Meyerhoff Symphony Hall was filled with local musical celebrities this past Sunday when Marin Alsop conducted the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven's "Leonore Overture No. 3," "Symphony No. 5" and Baltimore-native Christopher Rouse's "Flute Concerto," with the composer in attendance. This mixture of well-known Beethoven with lesser known, yet critically acclaimed, contemporary pieces is an attempt by the Baltimore Symphony to draw new listeners, many of whom they hope to attract with the Beethoven and to expose them simultaneously to contemporary music.
This mixed bill of old and new music was a success, as the 2,443-seat Meyerhoff was almost full. Beginning the program was "Leonore Overture No. 3," Beethoven's third attempt at an overture for his only opera, Fidelio. Beethoven worked on Fidelio for over a decade, completing three versions and four overtures. The third overture was intended for the 1806 performance of the second version of the opera. The dramatic nature of the piece shone through with a particularly strong performance by the strings, which handled the subdued passages with wonderful clarity.
In a gesture reflecting the lofty goal of the concert series, i.e. showcasing more contemporary music, maestra Alsop turned to the audience and gave a quite lengthy introduction to the next piece. After discussing the overarching theme of Rouse's concerto and the ever-present influence of Gaelic folk music, Alsop explained the inspiration for Elegia, the concerto's third movement. In 1993, two English boys murdered two-year-old James Bulger and the third movement is Rouses's evocation of both the tragedy and a life never lived. Rouse described his jocular second movement as "Elgar on speed," and Alsop quipped that if this were true, then she did "not know what Elgar was on" when composing the fourth movement.
Then Emily Skala, principal flutist of the BSO, took the stage as the soloist and played the part well. Rouse's vision for the soloist is similar to that of Fauré's for the pianist in his "Ballade for Piano," a quasi-piano concerto. The soloist in both pieces is not the focal point, rather someone who brings the individual advantages of their instrument (expressive capability, tone, etc.) to the forefront. With that being said, Skala's solos had a beautifully clear tone and were technically flawless. Her superb performance had Alsop dancing along during the second movement.
This mixed bill of old and new music was a success, as the 2,443-seat Meyerhoff was almost full. Beginning the program was "Leonore Overture No. 3," Beethoven's third attempt at an overture for his only opera, Fidelio. Beethoven worked on Fidelio for over a decade, completing three versions and four overtures. The third overture was intended for the 1806 performance of the second version of the opera. The dramatic nature of the piece shone through with a particularly strong performance by the strings, which handled the subdued passages with wonderful clarity.
In a gesture reflecting the lofty goal of the concert series, i.e. showcasing more contemporary music, maestra Alsop turned to the audience and gave a quite lengthy introduction to the next piece. After discussing the overarching theme of Rouse's concerto and the ever-present influence of Gaelic folk music, Alsop explained the inspiration for Elegia, the concerto's third movement. In 1993, two English boys murdered two-year-old James Bulger and the third movement is Rouses's evocation of both the tragedy and a life never lived. Rouse described his jocular second movement as "Elgar on speed," and Alsop quipped that if this were true, then she did "not know what Elgar was on" when composing the fourth movement.
Then Emily Skala, principal flutist of the BSO, took the stage as the soloist and played the part well. Rouse's vision for the soloist is similar to that of Fauré's for the pianist in his "Ballade for Piano," a quasi-piano concerto. The soloist in both pieces is not the focal point, rather someone who brings the individual advantages of their instrument (expressive capability, tone, etc.) to the forefront. With that being said, Skala's solos had a beautifully clear tone and were technically flawless. Her superb performance had Alsop dancing along during the second movement.
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bsofan
posted 3/15/08 @ 1:33 PM EST
Nice review. I was also there and there were lots of young people there last week! The 5/$25 is a great deal, I'll be back for sure. I had no idea we had such a world-renowned orchestra here!
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