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SYMPHONY REVIEW
Lessons of Artistic Survival
September 8, 2001
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By Lynn Shurtleff
What does an orchestra do when, days before its season-opening concert, it is revealed that it is in serious financial difficulty, with more than $2 million needed by the end of the year? Well, if it is smart, it brings in a consultant who can help teach the lessons of artistic survival. That is precisely what the San Jose Symphony did as it presented its gala season opener on Saturday at Cupertino's Flint Center with guest artist Yo-Yo Ma.
In a concert featuring Vivaldi's Concerto in G Minor for two cellos and orchestra, with Ma being joined by the orchestra's principal cellist, Peter Gelfand, and concluding with Tchaikovsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme, the lessons of survival were clearly taught by the world's premier cellist: Perform with passion. Play the classical masterpieces at their very best. Teach the audience that the riches accumulated through music and art can bring more lasting and more profound joy than the riches of Silicon Valley. Communicate to a diverse population through programming that appeals to every facet of society. Don't be afraid to take a chance. Smile and make a friend through music.
Conductor Leonid Grin chose a varied program that included some chestnuts designed to be sure winners in such an important concert, including Rossini's Overture to Guillaume Tell (William Tell) and Tchaikovsky's Capriccio Italien. Benjamin Britten's Soirees musicales, based on five piano pieces of Rossini, was also included.
It was curious that, in the Vivaldi concerto, Peter Gelfand played the technically more difficult primo part, with Ma playing the less demanding secondo part. The two soloists seemed to have had sufficient time together to work out some of the more subtle details of the style and the embellishments. As a result, they were able to present a unified performance. It is so easy in a Vivaldi work that contains so much statement and answer for one performer to upstage the other. Ma was careful to see that this did not happen. The result was a clean, tasteful, appropriate performance. The Rococo Variations presented a more demanding task for Ma. While not always technically perfect, the passion was present, and the communication was intense. A wink at the audience, a delightful visual interplay with the Concertmaster, a smile at the viola section, a nod to Grin, all combined to show the joy of the moment. The orchestra responded with some beautiful accompaniment, especially in the lighter, softer passages. Of course, the audience was hooked, offering its obligatory standing ovation and invoking two unaccompanied encores from Ma, including a short new piece composed for the upcoming Silk Road Tour. Wouldn't it be wonderful if more musicians and more ensembles could master the ability to make their instrument speak to people of all backgrounds? It was another lesson to be learned by the orchestra.
The orchestra was controlled well by Conductor Grin and frequently showed the high quality of its personnel. The strings played with fine ensemble, if not always with the greatest warmth. The opening section of Guillaume Tell demonstrated the excellence of the cello section, led by Assistant Principal Cheryl Fippen. The woodwind section had ample opportunity to demonstrate the quality of its players. They performed their sometimes difficult passages with grace and accuracy. Especially noteworthy was the work of Principal Flautist Maria Tamburrino. Few musicians have done so much to popularize a classical instrument as Yo-Yo Ma. He is involved in projects ranging from a bluegrass recording with banjo artist Bela Fleck, through Tangos and Rock, performing the cello solos in the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, working with young performers, and continuing with his latest project of bringing together the music of Eastern and Western cultures through his upcoming tour with the Silk Road Ensemble. He practices the very lessons that can help the San Jose Symphony to thrive in the rapidly changing society of the Bay Area. (Lynn Shurtleff is a composer and conductor and a professor of music, emeritus, at Santa Clara University.) ©2001 Lynn Shurtleff, all rights reserved |
