Maestro, TSO give musical makeovers
Article published April 17, 2010
Maestro, TSO give musical makeovers
BY SALLY VALLONGO
SPECIAL TO THE BLADE
It might have been, as someone observed in passing last night in the noticeably unpopulated Peristyle, that Toledo Symphony audiences just couldn't take another big Brahms work so soon.
The composer's fourth and final symphony anchored the second half of the program for this Classics VIII concert, waggishly titled "Tse and the TSO." (Last month, the Brahms violin concerto dominated the Classics VII program with principal conductor Stefan Sanderling and guest violinist Jennifer Frautschi.)
But guest conductor Giordano Bellincampi managed a musical makeover and, with the reinvigorated orchestra delivered a Brahms performance that was fresh, assertive, and memorable.
Was it musical collagen? Deft nips and tucks?
Throughout the evening the strings conveyed a plumped-up sound with great confidence and lan. And the already great bones of the brass and woodwinds revealed exciting new angles and planes.
Watching Bellincampi conduct from the audience perspective was engaging enough. One could only imagine the added power for the musicians of eye contact and facial expression. Despite the many large arm gestures which seemed designed to draw the entire orchestra's sound toward him, Bellincampi did the really important work with small, fluid hand gestures. His beat was always clear and right-side up and he gave punchy accents with elbows and wrists.
Slim and erect in old-fashioned tails, the Maestro was a commanding presence on the podium, working without baton and, for the first piece, Giacomo Rossini's sparkling Overture to La Gazza Ladra, sans score. The effect promoted the opening number to feature status with crisp definitions between sections, precise bowing and articulation, and stunning clarity.
Principal flutist Joel Tse returned to the solo spot for the second number: Jacques Ibert's brilliant and sophisticated Concerto for Flute. Written for the great French flutist Marcel Moyse, the work shimmered and bounced in Tse's hands. Moyse himself would have loved this performance, made even more Gallic because Tse plays an antique French flute to produce his warm, rich, yet never forced tone.
In three movements Ibert created a fluid work of much brio balanced with jazzy syncopations and tranquil melodies. Tse used music but his performance was so secure and nuanced it seemed effortless. His colleagues provided subtle, well-paced accompaniment.
Well warmed up for the Brahms, the TSO delivered the master work with boldness and joy. Tempos were definitely pumped up without seeming rushed. The great swaths of sound for which the composer is celebrated were almost choral in their melodic quality. The cellos have not sounded better all year, particularly in the second movement. By the final movement, the symphony and conductor seemed to have merged into an inexorable force bringing passion and conviction to the familiar passages.
Those who thought they might skip this concert have another chance tonight to hear Bellincampi's effect on the orchestra. They'd be wise to take advantage of it.
"Tse and the TSO" will repeat at 8 p.m. today in the Toledo Museum of Art Peristyle. Tickets are $10-$50 at www.toledosymphony.com or 419-246-8000.
