The Transparent crew, consisting of Amy Farwell, Josh and Portia Clark, Brad and Gina O’Toole, and I, attended the Portland Symphony Orchestra performance last night. Two powerfully dramatic pieces featuring the tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet framed the night, mediated by a Mozart piano concerto full of love, life and beauty.
The first piece was Tchaikovsky‘s Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy. Looking around at the audience, it was apparent that the majority of the listeners were so captivated that they were unaware of their surroundings. The music’s power to sweep us away to another time and place was a testament to the PSO’s engaging performance. At one point, a bassoon began a melody that was played so lyrically I thought someone onstage was singing. Both Amy and Brad remarked on the dramatic role of the strings, particularly Tchaikovsky’s use of pizzicato, and the powerful crescendo that ended the work.
Henry Kramer, Cape Elizabeth native and Yale music student, then confidently led us through Mozart’s Concerto No. 21 for Piano in C Major. Mr. Kramer performed virtuosic lines effortlessly and his playful ease with the music sometimes gave me the impression that performer and composer were sharing private jokes. In the pre-concert talk, he shared with us some thoughts on the piece, remembering what special day it was. The characters in Mozart’s operas, he explained, always fall in love in the key of F major, which was the key of the andante movement. The audience responded to Mr. Kramer and the PSO with a standing ovation.
Serge Prokofiev created three orchestral suites from the music he composed for his ballet Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64. Conductor Robert Moody has selected portions of these suites and arranged them chronologically to match the story line of Shakespeare’s play. Four actors from the Portland Players joined the orchestra on the stage and introduced each selection with lines from the play. It was an exciting merger of the two art forms, and one could picture the scenes clearly as the music progressed. Josh really liked the performance and was impressed with how the actors added to it. Unusual timbres graced the hall throughout the suite, including a celeste, a triangle and a tenor saxophone. The cello theme after Mercutio’s death was especially haunting. Robert Moody himself confessed before the concert that if he could bring one recording to a desert island with him, it would be Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet.
Bravo to the PSO, Henry Kramer and Robert Moody for delivering pure love on Valentines day, with all of the heartache, pain and strife that may or may not come with it.
http://www.portlandsymphony.org/content/?performance=romeo-and-juliet
The first piece was Tchaikovsky‘s Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy. Looking around at the audience, it was apparent that the majority of the listeners were so captivated that they were unaware of their surroundings. The music’s power to sweep us away to another time and place was a testament to the PSO’s engaging performance. At one point, a bassoon began a melody that was played so lyrically I thought someone onstage was singing. Both Amy and Brad remarked on the dramatic role of the strings, particularly Tchaikovsky’s use of pizzicato, and the powerful crescendo that ended the work.
Henry Kramer, Cape Elizabeth native and Yale music student, then confidently led us through Mozart’s Concerto No. 21 for Piano in C Major. Mr. Kramer performed virtuosic lines effortlessly and his playful ease with the music sometimes gave me the impression that performer and composer were sharing private jokes. In the pre-concert talk, he shared with us some thoughts on the piece, remembering what special day it was. The characters in Mozart’s operas, he explained, always fall in love in the key of F major, which was the key of the andante movement. The audience responded to Mr. Kramer and the PSO with a standing ovation.
Serge Prokofiev created three orchestral suites from the music he composed for his ballet Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64. Conductor Robert Moody has selected portions of these suites and arranged them chronologically to match the story line of Shakespeare’s play. Four actors from the Portland Players joined the orchestra on the stage and introduced each selection with lines from the play. It was an exciting merger of the two art forms, and one could picture the scenes clearly as the music progressed. Josh really liked the performance and was impressed with how the actors added to it. Unusual timbres graced the hall throughout the suite, including a celeste, a triangle and a tenor saxophone. The cello theme after Mercutio’s death was especially haunting. Robert Moody himself confessed before the concert that if he could bring one recording to a desert island with him, it would be Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet.
Bravo to the PSO, Henry Kramer and Robert Moody for delivering pure love on Valentines day, with all of the heartache, pain and strife that may or may not come with it.
http://www.portlandsymphony.org/content/?performance=romeo-and-juliet
The program notes are always insightful and can be found here:
