CSO Program All-American, from Shaker Hymn to Sierra
Getting off to a good start, you might call it.
For the third weekend in a row, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra performed new music (or music new to the CSO audience) on a subscription series concert at Music Hall.
The concert, an all-American one led by guest conductor William Eddins Oct. 9 at Music Hall, featured the CSO premiere of Roberto Sierra's 2009 Sinfonia No. 4.
A Sphinx Consortium Commission, the work received its world premiere Oct. 1 by the Nashville Symphony led by Giancarlo Guerrero.
(The Sphinx organization, which includes the commissioning consortium, was founded to encourage the participation of blacks and Latinos in classical music. The CSO is a member of the Consortium along with 11 other U.S. orchestras.)
Sierra, a native of Puerto Rico and professor of composition at Cornell University, had good company. Also on the program were the Suite from Aaron Copland's "Appalachian Spring" and the Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra by Gershwin. Taken together they provided a wide-ranging view of the American experience.
Giving the concert a special shot of adrenalin, Eddins, who is also a pianist, led the Gershwin from the keyboard,
Eddins is one of the CSO's most popular guest conductors. Music director of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (Canada) he is dynamic, personable and a lot of fun to watch. He shirks the baton, preferring to shape the music with his hands and body, generating considerable energy in the process. This was quite a feat in the Gershwin, which he led sometimes standing, sometimes seated at the piano, which took the place of the podium with the keyboard facing the audience.
While playing, Eddins led mostly with nods of his head, though he could also toss a cue with his hands and be instantly back on the keys. Despite the exertion, it was a well integrated performance, the more exciting for having the conductor "in the fray" with the members of the orchestra.
The CSO performed with spirit and conviction. Principal trumpeter Robert Sullivan's idiomatic solo in the bluesy Adagio was a standout.
Just 20 minutes long, Sierra's Sinfonia No. 4 is a four-movement symphony very much in the neo-romantic mode. Scored for full orchestra with a raft of percussion, it combines European and Latin colors and idioms in what Sierra calls his “tropicalizing" style.
The first movement, Moderadamente rapido, opened with a steady pulse against a broad melodic line that instantly caught one up in an unfolding drama, tinged by conga drums. In Rapido, the scherzo movement, percussive effects and sparkles of piccolo and trumpet alternated with smoother episodes.
Tempo di bolero is a Cuban bolero -- a romantic ballad, not the Spanish dance immortalized by Ravel. Principal bassoonist William Winstead led off with a beautiful solo, taken up by oboe and clarinet. The piano (Michael Chertock) filtered through for a glittering effect. enhanced by glockenspiel and ornamental figures by the trumpets. It had an almost stately air, breaking off at one point before continuing as before with a soulful melody by English hornist Christopher Philpotts.
The finale, Muy rapido y ritmico, featured lots of "hard" percussion (like xylophone and claves) and a persistent, syncopated rhythm setting up considerable suspense before the splashy end.
Reflecting America from a different angle was the Suite from Copland's "Appalachian Spring," a tribute to the early migratory waves from the British Isles. Composed for a ballet by Martha Graham, the music is part of the American canon with its misty moments, lively dances and sturdy Shaker hymn ("Tis the gift to be simple"). Eddins and the CSO gave it an affectionate reading.
The concert, an eminently popular one with the Friday night audience, drew a lengthy ovation at the end. Repeat is 8 p.m. tonight (Oct. 10) at Music Hall