Auspicious Debut For Guest Conductor

Carneiro, Vying For Music Director Job, Navigates Through All-Romantic Set 

by Diane Peterson 

The Press Democrat, February 14, 2005

SANTA ROSAöGuest conductor Joana Carneiro and the Santa Rosa Symphony embarked on a voyage of discovery Saturday night that ended safely on the shores of a richly satisfying Symphony No. 2 by Brahms.

As the first of seven candidates trying out for Jeffrey Kahanesâs job as music director, the 28-year-old native of Portugal proved an able navigator through the stormy complexities of an all-Romantic program.

Dressed in a simple black tunic, long shirt and ballet slippers, Carneiro brought a dancerâs grace and fluidity to the podium. Her stick technique is near perfection, with clear downbeats and subdivisions that helped the orchestra stay on track even through rough rhythmic waters.

She also used every bit of airspace within reach, numbly sliding her baton behind her head or shrugging one shoulder to indicate offbeat rhythms. Her left and right hands were equally expressive, multitasking with each other in a smooth, elegant manner.

Wielding her baton like a magic wand, Carneiro opened the concert on a familiar note with Dukasâ The Sorcererâs Apprentice, known to many as the Mickey Mouse scene from Disneyâs Fantasia.

From the humorous theme in the woodwinds to the spell-inducing thud of the drum, this mystical work was pulled off with a theatrical sense of fun and whimsy.

Only a runaway brass section marred the overall effect.

The brass made up for it in the next work, Dukasâ attractive showpiece, Fanfare from La Peri. This brief but effective work segued directly into the pastoral purity of Debussyâs Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun, creating an unexpected contrast.

Under Carneiro, the orchestra pulled together the musical fragments of the impressionistic Debussy into one, unbroken line, thanks to some stellar work from the woodwinds and strings.

The first half of the concert closed with a less successful rendition of Ravelâs Tzigane, a virtuoso work for solo violin showcasing principal second violinist Karen Shinozaki Sor.

Shinozaki Sor put her heart into this fiery piece, working hard to create a freewheeling gypsy feeling while executing tricky octaves, double-stops and harmonics with near-perfect intonation. But there seemed to be a disconnect between the front and back of the orchestra, and the ensemble came unglued more than once.

The orchestra came back together during the second half with a crisp and incisive performance of Brahmsâ Symphony No. 2, which Carneiro conducted with classical restraint.

There were a few rubatos, where tempos were stretched or compressed, but for the most part, Carneiro was content to let this poetic music speak for itself. Her strategy paid off in the soulful second movement, which came off with the fervency of a prayer, and in the playful third movement, where the baton and the orchestra became one.

In the finale, Carneiro coaxed some impressive dynamics and rhythmic clarity from the orchestra, bringing them to the triumphant conclusion with utter confidence and control.

It was an auspicious debut for the new conductor search and for the next phase of the Santa Rosa Symphony. But if all the candidates are this attractive, itâs going to be a tough decision.

The Santa Rosa Symphony will repeat the Saturday program at 8 tonight at the Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. Tickets: $26-$47. Phone: 546-8742.