SR
Symphony Tries Out Ohio Conductor
In Race For Music Director, Candidate From
Cleveland Orchestra Shows Strength
by Diane Peterson
The Press Democrat, January 23, 2006
(SANTA ROSA) - The Santa
Rosa Symphony under guest conductor Steven
Smith waltzed in the new year Saturday night
at the Burbank Center for the Arts with a
program that embraced 20th-century music
with unrepentant zeal.
As the sixth of seven
candidates trying out for the post of music
director, Smith proved himself an able spokesman
for contemporary music, making a strong case
for both Stucky's ephemeral "Dreamwaltzes" and Bartok's
bombastic Suite from "The Miraculous Mandarin" after
intermission.
Smith, who has served as assistant conductor
of the Cleveland Orchestra, speaks about music
with a Mid-Western earnestness that is both
intelligent and accessible.
Before leading Bartok's ballet suite, he asked
the orchestra to demonstrate the dramatic high
points of the challenging work, leading the
audience through the macabre story with acoustic
signposts.
In response, the audience went along for the
ride and rewarded the orchestra with a standing
ovation at the end, having been properly prepared
for the modern work's fierce savagery.
During the Bartok, Smith marshaled the large
orchestral forces with clarity and vigor, especially
during the work's bumpy rhythms and meters.
Except for an out-of-tune opening chord, the
woodwinds, brass, keyboards and percussionists
all sounded stellar, most notably the sinuous
solos by principal clarinetist Roy Zajac.
The orchestra also pulled
out all the stops for Stucky's "Dreamwaltzes," a post-modernist
work that that goes beyond Ravel's sardonic "La
Valse" into a macabre soundscape of smeared
and muted brass and strings, punctuated by
popping percussion.
This dense, orchestral fantasy comes to an
exciting climax, with pounding drums and brass
and just about every instrument imaginable,
then fades away into lyrical space music, with
fragments of Viennese waltzes floating in and
out.
While it may not be everyone's
cup of tea, "Dreamwaltzes" is
an engaging look back at the 19th century,
seen through the prism of modern times.
Before intermission, the Russian-born pianist
Kirill Gerstein whisked the audience firmly
back to the Romantic era with Lizst's glittering
Piano Concerto No. 2.
Dressed simply in a black shirt and baggy
trousers, the young pianist made a case for
this rarely heard virtuoso work, which goes
over the top at times with arpeggios and glissandos,
sounding almost like a corny parody of itself.
Although Gerstein played with rhythmic liveliness
and steely strength, the concerto's charm was
marred by poor acoustics, which made the piano's
treble sound overly bright and it bass sound
overly loud.
The symphony's contribution to the Lizst was
highlighted by fine playing in the strings
and winds, especially from principal cellist
Wanda Warkentin and principal flutist Kathleen
Reynolds.
The orchestra was less
persuasive in the curtain-opener, Mozart's
Symphony No. 38, "Prague," which
had a beautiful sound but lacked energy and
excitement in the first two movements.
By the third movement, however, the tempo
had picked up and the orchestra brought the
symphony to a sparkling conclusion - making
it a proper tribute to the 250th anniversary
of Mozart's birth this Friday.
With one candidate left to try out next month,
the music director race has officially entered
its final lap. Smith appears to have the goods
to make him one of the front-runners - clear
baton technique, strong communication skills
and a programming vision that looks to the
future.
The Santa Rosa Symphony will repeat the Saturday
program at 8 tonight at the Burbank Center
for the Arts in Santa Rosa. Tickets are $27-$49.
For more information, call 546-8742
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