Above: Marin Alsop on the Carnegie Hall podium with the National Youth Orchestra of the USA; photo by Chris Lee
~ Author: Oberon
Monday August 5th, 2024 - Carnegie Hall's World Orchestra Week continued with the National Youth Orchestra of the USA under the baton of Marin Alsop, with guest artist pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet.
Samuel Barber's Symphony No. 1, which opened the program, was brand new to me. Being a great admirer of the composer's Violin Concerto, his Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Dover Beach, and operas VANESSA and ANTONY & CLEOPATRA, his first symphony fell easily on my ear.
This work, in a single movement lasting about 25 minutes, is more boisterous than I had expected. It is filled with sophisticated rhythmic shifts and uses the various instrumental colours cunningly. Opening grandly, it develops a rich theme with summoning trumpets and a flood of sound from the orchestra's huge violin contingent. A fugue-like section commences; the music then turns briefly lyrical until there's a huge outburst of brass and drums.
Everything comes to a dramatic halt, then there's another quasi-fugue wherein the flutes and reed instruments warble amusingly. The music turns bouncy, the violins swirl, there's a witty bassoon motif, and an enticing oboe solo. The harp is lovely; the cello, clarinet, and tuba each have their say. The symphony moves into its final phase: but it's a bit too drawn out - as if Barber was not quite sure what kind of ending he wanted to make. The young musicians were truly impressive in this music, with nicely polished playing in the various solo passages.
M. Thibaudet (above, with the maestro; photo by Chris Lee) was warmly welcomed to the Carnegie stage for George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue. This beloved piece of music has been in my head since my youngest days of musical awareness: it was included on an LP of classical music favorites that my parents liked (it also featured the very first operatic music I ever heard heard: the RIGOLETTO quartet and Kirsten Flagstad's Ho-Jo-To-Ho!), and so it was a genuine pleasure to hear it again tonight.
Every moment of this music delights me, and it was really fun hearing the young artists captivate us with the various jazz motifs that Gershwin weaves into the score, from the opening 'siren' of the clarinet to the ever-so-cool wah-wah effects for the muted trumpet.
M. Thibaudet, his playing as brilliant as his subtly bejeweled jacket, was so thoroughly at home in this music, which he offered with such charm and allure. The long piano solos ravished the ear, whilst the pianist's rhythmic acuity and hints of rubato captured the underlying sexiness of the whole piece.
The musicians savoured the big melodies, with a lush sound and a delightful feel for the sway of the rhythms. Special kudos to the tuba player, Rufino Medado from deep in the heart of Texas.
Huge applause from the crowd as Jean-Yves and the maestro took their bows. Ms. Alsop then announced an encore, "Victory Stride" by a rather forgotten American composer, JJ Johnson (1924-2001). Jean-Yves joined in, and the house rocked as the various sections of the orchestra stood up to play. There was a terrific trombone solo, and great work from the trumpeters. A wonderful sense of community seemed to embrace players and audience alike.
Above: a Léon Bakst costume design for the ballet Scheherazade
After the interval, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade was sumptuously played. I had not heard this music for several years, and I'd forgotten how repetitive it is: the two or three main themes recur endlessly.
The program lists the players alphabetically, so I had no way of identifying the concertmaster, whose silken and sustained playing of the featured violin melodies was enchanting. The cello, bassoon, and clarinet soloists were likewise impressive, and a big bravo to the bass players.
As the music flowed on, endlessly pleasant, my mind began to wander. Dropped items periodically annoyed, and cellphones went off twice - at the worst possible moments. Despite being gorgeously performed, I frankly could not wait for Scheherazade to end.
A massive ovation ended the evening, and a specially-devised encore composed by Laura Karpman, entitled Swing, elicited more cheers. I'll always remember this concert for the Rhapsody in Blue, which shown in all its glory.
~ Oberon