Everyone loves violinist RachelBarton Pine – except, perhaps, theweather gods. Last March she wasscheduled to play with the DaytonPhilharmonic and arrived just beforethe snowstorm of the decade.Concertgoers will remember that theorchestra was snowed “out.” Rachelgave a solo recital for the hardy audi-ence who did arrive.
This year there was snow, but theproblem was record cold.Fortunately for the Philharmonicaudience, the concert went off with-out a hitch and the warmth of themusic raised the temperature of the
city by several degrees.Preceding the concert, the youth-
ful talents of the Blackbird Quartetplayed in the Wintergarden. Lastyear, these fabulous Oakwood kidsfound themselves on the main stageas part of Rachel’s recital.
Maestro Neal Gittleman had pro-grammed a repeat of the snowed-outconcert. It was a special homage toPanamanian native Roque Cordero,recently a Dayton resident. ThePhilharmonic has, over the past eightyears, played several of Cordero’sworks. I remember them as inventiveand exciting.
This concert was to be the Daytondebut of Cordero’s Violin Concertowith Rachel Barton Pine as soloist.Maestro Neal states that Pine is oneof the few violinists bold enough toplay this challenging but rewardingwork.
What was to be a grand celebra-
tion of Cordero’s music became amemorial. He died just three weeksbefore the concert at age 91. Manymembers of his family were presentat the concert to add luster to hisremarkable work.
The concert opened with Berlioz’Roman Carnival Overture. If anypiece can shake off the winter blues,the incredibly varied and electrifyingsounds took us all into warm, evenhot spheres. The ever-changingmusic was played impeccably by theorchestra.
The Cordero Concerto is a truemasterpiece. Full of the most moderntonalities, it is still musical and doesnot sink into unfocused sound. Thefirst movement alternates betweenthe solo violin and stirring orchestralmoments. Often the soloist is playingpizzicato while bowing a melody.Rachel played these passages not asmusical “tricks” but as pure music.
The second movement, Lento,was an appropriate elegy for the latecomposer and was followed by amoment of silence. Both the first twomovements ended with a fading noteon the solo violin.
There was nothing fading aboutthe final movement. Full of staccatoplaying by all of the instruments,watching it being played was asenjoyable as hearing the musicalexhilaration.
After intermission, the orchestraplayed the Dayton debut of Sibelius’Symphony No. 7. A single move-ment, like a tone poem, the musicwas sweeping and dark but as trans-parent as crystal. Works such as thisare true proof of our great orchestraand conductor’s talents.
The final piece was a musical bon-bon, Sarasate’s Carmen Fantasy.Here soloist Rachel “let it all hangout” using her cleverness as well asher manifold talents. To add evenmore spice, she entered the stage in aFlamenco dancer’s dress replete witha rose in her hair
Soirees Musicales – Spencer Myer
I have had the pleasure of hearingpianist Spencer Myer play threetimes in a year and a half. His debutwas made at Don Hageman’s Soirées
Musicales in May 2007. The follow-ing November, Myer was the soloistat the Philharmonic ClassicalConcert. January 10th marked hisreturn to the Soirées.
Each opportunity to hear young,affable Spencer is a treat. He is oneof those rare artists whose appeal isimmediate and across a wide range ofthe audience. The magic of music isso complex but the result, when themagician is in full power, is simple –simply wonderful!
Myer’s repertory is wide and deep.We have heard him play challengingworks by Mozart, Brahms, Ravel,Barber and Rachmaninoff. In everywork there is a clarity and specialpersonality that is never academic,but full of life and joy.
For the Soirées recital, he chose anambitious program including majorcompositions by Handel, Chopin,Albéniz, Carl Vine and Liszt. Thereis hardly a pattern here. Spencerselected music as fully ranging as hisgreat talents.
The recital began with Handel’sSuite No. 2. The opening section hadsuch clarity that one could hear ametronomic progression in the lefthand while the right hand gushedwith joy. Running and laughing,compelling drama and a rhythmic
THE OAKWOOD REGISTER January 20, 2009 WWW.OAKWOODREGISTER.COM
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Arts
BurtSaidel
DPO, violinist Pine debut Cordero concerto
