Gentle Touch On Symphony Baton

Guest Conductor Doesn't Get In The Way Of The Music
by Diane Peterson 

The Press Democrat, November 14 2005

SANTA ROSAöGuest conductor David Amado and the Santa Rosa symphony explored the power of nature Saturday night, but rather than wield his own power, Amado was content to let the music speak for itself.

The conductor molded the music minimally, then stepped aside to let it emerge of its own accord, a transparent style that worked well with the mostly romantic works by Tchaikovsky, Sibelius and Takemitsu.

Now at the halfway point in its search for a new music director, the Santa Rosa Symphony could do worse than to choose Amado, who is the first American-born conductor to try out.

Articulate and funny, Amado exhibited a comedian's sense of timing in the preconcert lecture. He also demonstrated an ease with himself and the audience that was refreshing, answering personal questions quickly and effectively.

"I pace when I'm nervous," he replied to a query about whether he gets nervous. "But once I get going, it's much better...thank you for asking."

If this conductor has a big ego, he keeps it well hidden.

On the podium, Amado offers a precise beat and an obvious passion for the music that is infectious. Like former Music Director Jeffrey Kahane, he doesn't use a lot of flashy movements, yet he numbly conveys rhythms to the orchestra with his entire body.

Ironically, it was a last minute program substitution--Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 played by pianist Natasha Paremski, taking over for an ailing Navah Perlman, who was scheduled to play Beethoven's Piano concerto No. 2--that was the biggest crowd-pleaser of the evening. This concerto boasting a familiar introduction, earned an enthusiastic standing ovation before intermission.

Dressed in a midnight blue gown, the 18-year-old pianist made a convincing argument for the old warhorse, from the sparkling cadenza of the first movement to the lullaby-like lyricism of the second movement and the folksy, bravura finale.

Unlike Paremski's performance of Chopin's Piano concerto No. 1 last spring, which lacked ensemble in a few places, this performance was sensitively supported by the orchestra, which stayed glue to her entrances with consistent cohesion.

After intermission, Sibelius' Symphony No. 5 received a solid performance, especially from the brass and woodwind players. The Finnish composer, who revered nature, was inspired to write the symphony after walking through the countryside and watching 16 swans fly overhead.

Sibelius' sense of wonder and mystery came across through the first movement's bold horn and woodwind melodies, the simple pizzicato opening of the second movement, and the tight-knit scurrying of strings in the finale.

However, the symphony ended anticlimactically when a violinist jumped the gun during the final six chords--one of the most unique symphonic endings ever written.

"Tree Line," written by the self-taught Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu, opened the concert with a Debussy-esque splash of color. Amado conducted the modernist work without a stick, shaping the short work with his expressive hands.

Whether the symphony will place itself permanently in his hands, however, remains to be seen. With four candidates down and three to go, it's shaping up to be an interesting audition process.

The Santa Rosa symphony will repeat the Saturday program at 8 tonight at the Burbank Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa. $16 (senior) - $59,
546-8742.