By Linda Phillips
With castanets, a tambourine and the thrill of solo harp and violin, the Greenwich Symphony opened its season with an ambitious, varied program, and two, rather than one, accomplished soloists.
The excellent, detailed opening remarks by Conductor David Gilbert, which included such details as the fact that Claude Debussy, a Frenchman who wrote several Spanish works, only visited Spain once—for lunch— described each composer’s oeuvre and how the work came to be composed.
The concert also presented a reversal of program at its Sunday performance, as the concertmaster, who had many solo passages in the scheduled opening Bartok Divertimento for String Orchestra did not appear. We looked at the empty chair. After a brief moment, orchestral chairs were repositioned, and the second piece scheduled on the program, the Dittersdorf Concerto for Harp in A major, began with the lovely soloist Barbara Allen. Originally a work for harpsichord, its usage was shortened to harp. Ms. Allen’s harp entered, echoing the opening statement of the orchestra, Allegro Molto and tugging at the heart strings of the audience in this Mozartean sounding work. A soft passage began in conversation with a a lone oboe. The second movement, Larghetto, was sweet and consonant, with an early cadenza for Ms. Allen. The third section, Rondeau: Allegretto, was buoyant and jubilant, the melody passing back and forth between harp and orchestra. Ms. Allen was given a standing ovation for a perfect performance.
The chairs were repositioned, concertmaster Ruotao Mao had arrived, and the Bartok Divertimento began. In Allegro Assai, a rushing 4/4 time, at times discordant and reverting to a passage in 3/4 time in Allegro non Troppo. The Molto Adagio foreshadowed the looming onset of World War II, and the despair and uncertainty that Bartok felt. The music echoed his unease, building dread with effective pizzicato cellos, which were outstanding. Movement 3, Allegro assai was sprightly, with a strong performance by Mr. Mao, some counterpoint, and a dizzying resolution leading to an urgent statement. The orchestra was applauded, as was Mr. Mao, for a fine reading.
Violin soloist, Edita Orlinyte, a prodigy at age 10 and now a sought after soloist, showed astonishingly fine technique throughout her performance of the Wieneawski Violin Concert No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22, with only the tone a bit thin in the higher registers. The somber opening in the orchestra featured strong French horn, clarinet leading to a lilting melody in the violin,
Ms. Orlinyte played with full orchestra behind in a lilting melody in Rondeau: allegretto as the work moved to full gypsy mode, and the audience clapped, shouted bravos, and stood for the soloist upon its conclusion.
Iberia, the center movement of Claude Debussy’s three Images, began with castanets sounding and a clarinet singing. We were immersed in a complete sound cloud, as the orchestra played with verve and energy in Movement 1, Par les rues et par les chemins. Les Parfums de la nuit was quiet and haunting as cellos, basses and violas shimmered. In Le matin d’un jour de Fete (Festival morning), the pace and excitement began again, rising to a full crescendo with chimes and a xylophone.
The entire concert was beautifully performed, and Conductor David Gilbert leads with such expertise, energy and enthusiasm for all the music that it lifts the entire orchestra
to new heights. Bravo to this fine organization and its splendid conductor.
The next performance of the GSO will be on November 23 and 24, and will feature the Greenwich High School Combined Choir in Brahms Schicksalslied. For information and tickets, call 203.869.2664, or go to www.Greenwichsymphony.org
With castanets, a tambourine and the thrill of solo harp and violin, the Greenwich Symphony opened its season with an ambitious, varied program, and two, rather than one, accomplished soloists.
The excellent, detailed opening remarks by Conductor David Gilbert, which included such details as the fact that Claude Debussy, a Frenchman who wrote several Spanish works, only visited Spain once—for lunch— described each composer’s oeuvre and how the work came to be composed.
The concert also presented a reversal of program at its Sunday performance, as the concertmaster, who had many solo passages in the scheduled opening Bartok Divertimento for String Orchestra did not appear. We looked at the empty chair. After a brief moment, orchestral chairs were repositioned, and the second piece scheduled on the program, the Dittersdorf Concerto for Harp in A major, began with the lovely soloist Barbara Allen. Originally a work for harpsichord, its usage was shortened to harp. Ms. Allen’s harp entered, echoing the opening statement of the orchestra, Allegro Molto and tugging at the heart strings of the audience in this Mozartean sounding work. A soft passage began in conversation with a a lone oboe. The second movement, Larghetto, was sweet and consonant, with an early cadenza for Ms. Allen. The third section, Rondeau: Allegretto, was buoyant and jubilant, the melody passing back and forth between harp and orchestra. Ms. Allen was given a standing ovation for a perfect performance.
The chairs were repositioned, concertmaster Ruotao Mao had arrived, and the Bartok Divertimento began. In Allegro Assai, a rushing 4/4 time, at times discordant and reverting to a passage in 3/4 time in Allegro non Troppo. The Molto Adagio foreshadowed the looming onset of World War II, and the despair and uncertainty that Bartok felt. The music echoed his unease, building dread with effective pizzicato cellos, which were outstanding. Movement 3, Allegro assai was sprightly, with a strong performance by Mr. Mao, some counterpoint, and a dizzying resolution leading to an urgent statement. The orchestra was applauded, as was Mr. Mao, for a fine reading.
Violin soloist, Edita Orlinyte, a prodigy at age 10 and now a sought after soloist, showed astonishingly fine technique throughout her performance of the Wieneawski Violin Concert No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22, with only the tone a bit thin in the higher registers. The somber opening in the orchestra featured strong French horn, clarinet leading to a lilting melody in the violin,
Ms. Orlinyte played with full orchestra behind in a lilting melody in Rondeau: allegretto as the work moved to full gypsy mode, and the audience clapped, shouted bravos, and stood for the soloist upon its conclusion.
Iberia, the center movement of Claude Debussy’s three Images, began with castanets sounding and a clarinet singing. We were immersed in a complete sound cloud, as the orchestra played with verve and energy in Movement 1, Par les rues et par les chemins. Les Parfums de la nuit was quiet and haunting as cellos, basses and violas shimmered. In Le matin d’un jour de Fete (Festival morning), the pace and excitement began again, rising to a full crescendo with chimes and a xylophone.
The entire concert was beautifully performed, and Conductor David Gilbert leads with such expertise, energy and enthusiasm for all the music that it lifts the entire orchestra
to new heights. Bravo to this fine organization and its splendid conductor.
The next performance of the GSO will be on November 23 and 24, and will feature the Greenwich High School Combined Choir in Brahms Schicksalslied. For information and tickets, call 203.869.2664, or go to www.Greenwichsymphony.org
With castanets, a tambourine and the thrill of solo harp and violin, the Greenwich Symphony opened its season with an ambitious, varied program, and two, rather than one, accomplished soloists.
The excellent, detailed opening remarks by Conductor David Gilbert, which included such details as the fact that Claude Debussy, a Frenchman who wrote several Spanish works, only visited Spain once—for lunch— described each composer’s oeuvre and how the work came to be composed.
The concert also presented a reversal of program at its Sunday performance, as the concertmaster, who had many solo passages in the scheduled opening Bartok Divertimento for String Orchestra did not appear. We looked at the empty chair. After a brief moment, orchestral chairs were repositioned, and the second piece scheduled on the program, the Dittersdorf Concerto for Harp in A major, began with the lovely soloist Barbara Allen. Originally a work for harpsichord, its usage was shortened to harp. Ms. Allen’s harp entered, echoing the opening statement of the orchestra, Allegro Molto and tugging at the heart strings of the audience in this Mozartean sounding work. A soft passage began in conversation with a a lone oboe. The second movement, Larghetto, was sweet and consonant, with an early cadenza for Ms. Allen. The third section, Rondeau: Allegretto, was buoyant and jubilant, the melody passing back and forth between harp and orchestra. Ms. Allen was given a standing ovation for a perfect performance.
The chairs were repositioned, concertmaster Ruotao Mao had arrived, and the Bartok Divertimento began. In Allegro Assai, a rushing 4/4 time, at times discordant and reverting to a passage in 3/4 time in Allegro non Troppo. The Molto Adagio foreshadowed the looming onset of World War II, and the despair and uncertainty that Bartok felt. The music echoed his unease, building dread with effective pizzicato cellos, which were outstanding. Movement 3, Allegro assai was sprightly, with a strong performance by Mr. Mao, some counterpoint, and a dizzying resolution leading to an urgent statement. The orchestra was applauded, as was Mr. Mao, for a fine reading.
Violin soloist, Edita Orlinyte, a prodigy at age 10 and now a sought after soloist, showed astonishingly fine technique throughout her performance of the Wieneawski Violin Concert No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22, with only the tone a bit thin in the higher registers. The somber opening in the orchestra featured strong French horn, clarinet leading to a lilting melody in the violin,
Ms. Orlinyte played with full orchestra behind in a lilting melody in Rondeau: allegretto as the work moved to full gypsy mode, and the audience clapped, shouted bravos, and stood for the soloist upon its conclusion.
Iberia, the center movement of Claude Debussy’s three Images, began with castanets sounding and a clarinet singing. We were immersed in a complete sound cloud, as the orchestra played with verve and energy in Movement 1, Par les rues et par les chemins. Les Parfums de la nuit was quiet and haunting as cellos, basses and violas shimmered. In Le matin d’un jour de Fete (Festival morning), the pace and excitement began again, rising to a full crescendo with chimes and a xylophone.
The entire concert was beautifully performed, and Conductor David Gilbert leads with such expertise, energy and enthusiasm for all the music that it lifts the entire orchestra
to new heights. Bravo to this fine organization and its splendid conductor.
The next performance of the GSO will be on November 23 and 24, and will feature the Greenwich High School Combined Choir in Brahms Schicksalslied. For information and tickets, call 203.869.2664, or go to www.Greenwichsymphony.org
