Sibelius Concert Review

Daniel Morriss

Philip Ratliff

Writing About Music

26^th of February, 2013

Sibelius

            World-renowned conductor Justin Brown led an energetic orchestra through more than a few strikingly beautiful symphonies this past Friday, February 22^nd, 2013, at the Alys-Stephens Center’s Jemison Concert Hall. The selections played during the 90-minute exposition included Sibelius’s 6^th and 7^th symphonies, as well as a few unexpected pleasures. Violinist Daniel Szasz performed Finzi’s “Violin Concerto,” a piece he executed with respectable finesse and talent, the squeal of his violin cutting through the awe-struck audience’s perfect silence like a sharp, flaming sword slicing through pitch darkness. This violin solo was the perfect rising action leading up to the next act: opera singer Nicholas Phan’s monumental voice filled every square inch of the concert hall with the mysterious beauty of Rembaud’s eerie poetry, while the orchestra presented the perfect complement with Britten’s “Les Illuminations.” This third piece of the ensemble was possibly the deepest and most meaningful of the four parts of the night, as the lyrics filling the auditorium painted a cryptic story from centuries past. A good time was had by all, and all four of the performances garnered individual standing ovations from the enthralled audience.

            According to the provided informational pamphlet, famous composer Sibelius was in a difficult time in his life during the writing of his 6^th and 7^th symphonies. He underwent fourteen surgeries, including one of “a throat tumor he feared to be cancer.” His house was also searched two times by Russian soldiers, forcing his family to relocate. The brochure states that “In sharp contrast to the bold Fifth Symphony, the Sixth is lyrical and elegant, with even the orchestration-except for a harp and bass clarinet-displaying restraint.”

            All things considered, the entire experience attending the symphony was a positive one. I was in a state of acoustic Zen for most of the ride, and a feeling of classical musical enlightenment washed over me as I left the venue. Hearing a master violinist, a master opera-singer, and a master conductor leading a master orchestra all in one sitting was an extravagant experience.

UAB Department of Music Concert Series: Sara Daneshpour, pianist

On Sunday, March 10^th, The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Music presented pianist Sara Daneshpour as a part of their Piano Concert Series at the University’s Alys Stephens Center.  During the two-hour program Daneshpour performed works from Schumann, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Granados, Ravel, and Prokofiev.  After a thunderous round of applause, she returned to encore her performance with Prelude for the Left Hand by Scriabin.

In the first hour of the recital Daneshpour performed Robert Schumann’s Variations on the name ABEGG, Op. 1, Frederic Chopin’s Scherzo No. 4 in E major, and No. 1 though 6 of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Etudes-tableaux, Op. 39.  After a short intermission, the concert was completed with performances of Enrique Granados’ Goyescas:  El Amor y la muerte, Maurice Ravel’s Gaspoard de la Nuit, and Sergei Prokofiev’s Toccata, Op. 11.  Throughout the entire performance Daneshpour was incredibly dedicated to the music she was presenting, as her facial expressions and body language conveyed as much emotion as the music itself.

Daneshpour is originally from Washington, D.C. and has performed not only around the continental United States but also in several locations globally.  Through her stilling growing career she has been awarded honors such as First Prizes at the XII Concours International de Musique du Maroc, 2007 International Russian Music Piano Competition, and 2003 Beethoven Society of America Competition.  She received her undergraduate degree from he Curtis Institute of Music and is currently completely her Master's degree at the Juilliard School.  Within the next few months, Daneshpour is scheduled to perform in several locations throughout the United States and Canada.

This performance concluded the UAB Department of Music’s 2012-2013 Piano Concert Series.  Daneshpour’s performance was preceded by presentations of Nikolai Lugansky in October of 2012 and Alexander Shtarkman in January.

Brown Conducts Sibelius

                On Saturday, February 23, Justin Brown conducted the Alabama Symphony Orchestra’s performance titled Brown Conducts Sibelius.  The concert began at 8:00 p.m. in the Alys Stephens Center’s Jeminson Concert Hall. An interesting aspect of this particular ASO performance was that the music played covered a century in musical composition, starting with works from Sibelius (1865-1957) and continuing through that of Finzi (1901-1956) and Britten (1913-1976) with a return at the end to another of Sibelius’s symphonies.  Featuring the acclaimed violinist Daniel Szasz and tenor Nicholas Phan as well as Justin Brown’s directorial skill, Brown Conducts Sibelius was a memorable performance.

                The reputation of the conductor brought high expectations for the night’s show.   Justin Brown, a Cambridge-educated English pianist and symphony conductor, was already a familiar conductor to the Alabama Symphony Orchestra’s audience as the six-season Music Director Laureate of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra.  Brown has directed symphonies by Sibelius as well as Bruckner within the past year with the ASO, and he is well-known internationally for conducting some of the most prestigious symphonies in the U.S. as well as Europe.  It was with his vast experience on the world stage that Saturday night’s collection of pieces combined musical talent and compositions from around the world.

                The show began with Sibelius’s “Symphony No. 6 in D minor Op. 104.”  The opening string sequence was gorgeous and ethereal in a way separate from what would appear later in the night as a violin solo.  Though the piece was fairly light amidst the cheery woodwinds and even verged on jovial at times, a resolute tone could be detected in varying degrees throughout the stringed voices. 

                Following the fourth movement of Sibelius’s Symphony, the violin soloist Daniel Szasz wowed the audience with his part of Finzi’s “Violin Concerto.”  Szasz, another frequent musician of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, is the current concertmaster of the orchestra. As his violin cried through the concerto, the Romanian violinist reminded the audience of the internationally-acclaimed talent residing in Birmingham and contributing to musical culture of the area.

                The night’s performance returned after intermission to finish with Britten’s “Les Illuminations, Op. 18” featuring nine movements and the up-and-coming tenor Nicholas Phan.  Phan, who was just recently named one of National Public Radio’s Favorite New Artists of 2011, sings with many orchestras around the country, often performing works from Britten. It’s clear why; he confidently carried the piece not only accompanied by the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in its typical composition, but with a few more string players than who normally play on that stage.  

Everything from the violin’s raw precision to the timpani player’s uncommonly iridescent mane bore the presence of timeless works being interpreted in a fresh way throughout Saturday night’s performance.  

Alabama Symphony Orchestra: Sibelius Concert

            Last Saturday night on February 23, the Alabama Symphony Orchestra (ASO), under the direction of conductor Justin Brown, performed a Sibelius concert at the Alys Stephens Center. In addition to the Sibelius pieces, the symphony also performed two lesser-known works.  Daniel Szasz, the ASO’s concertmaster, executed brilliantly as the lead for Finzi’s Violin Concerto, which was followed by renowned tenor Nicholas Phan’s performance of Britten’s “Les Illuminations.” However, the definite highlight of the night was Sibelius’s 6^th and 7^th Symphony.

            Sibelius’s 6^th symphony opened up the concert by establishing the pastoral theme that would continue throughout the night.  Throughout the 6^th, the strings would shift between an elegiac legato to a sprightful staccato. The shifts in dynamics and articulation created an impression of seasonal change. The drawn out notes mimic the pounding of harsh winter winds while the bright interludes are reminiscent of spring and summer. The ASO does a brilliant job in conveying these elements throughout the performance. Brown successfully draws out of his musicians the emotive colors that made the experience one that was uncannily akin to witnessing the impressionistic works of Monet and Sisley.

            Following Sibelius’s 6^th was Finzi’s Violin Concerto and Nicholas Phan’s libretto. Daniel Szasz’s performance shone during the concerto with an intensely emotive quality of a fragile yearning. However at times, Szasz failed to pierce through the rest of the orchestra, creating a muddled sound. Despite this, the piece nevertheless produced a powerful experience. Coming back after the intermission, the audience met a pleasant piece in Nicholas Phan’s performance of “Les Illumninations.” This Britten piece comes from a French poem by Arthur Rimbaud. In keeping with his national prestige, Phan shines as the tenor to this operatic performance that contained both strong Wagneresque and lighter church motifs.

            To close out the concert, the ASO performed Sibelius’s 7^th Symphony in one movement. Termed as a “symphonic fantasy” by the Finnish composer, the 7^th is nothing short of a joyful celebration. Multiple crescendos along with interspersed hymn-like sections of string contribute to the lively nature of the piece. A strong horn and brass section carried this behemoth of a movement through and effectively portrayed the sense of triumph that permeates the 7^th symphony. The ASO performed this finale very well, and it offered a pleasant conclusion to a highly satisfying musical experience.

Sibelius

Sibelius

By Daniel Morriss

            World-renowned conductor Justin Brown led an energetic orchestra through more than a few strikingly beautiful symphonies this past Friday, February 22^nd, 2013, at the Alys-Stephens Center’s Jemison Concert Hall. The selections played during the 90-minute exposition included Sibelius’s 6^th and 7^th symphonies, as well as a few unexpected pleasures. Violinist Daniel Szasz performed Finzi’s “Violin Concerto,” a piece he executed with respectable finesse and talent, the squeal of his violin cutting through the awe-struck audience’s perfect silence like a sharp, flaming sword slicing through pitch darkness. This violin solo was the perfect rising action leading up to the next act: opera singer Nicholas Phan’s monumental voice filled every square inch of the concert hall with the mysterious beauty of Rembaud’s eerie poetry, while the orchestra presented the perfect complement with Britten’s “Les Illuminations.” This third piece of the ensemble was possibly the deepest and most meaningful of the four parts of the night, as the lyrics filling the auditorium painted a cryptic story from centuries past. A good time was had by all, and all four of the performances garnered individual standing ovations from the enthralled audience.

            According to the provided informational pamphlet, famous composer Sibelius was in a difficult time in his life during the writing of his 6^th and 7^th symphonies. He underwent fourteen surgeries, including one of “a throat tumor he feared to be cancer.” His house was also searched two times by Russian soldiers, forcing his family to relocate. The brochure states that “In sharp contrast to the bold Fifth Symphony, the Sixth is lyrical and elegant, with even the orchestration-except for a harp and bass clarinet-displaying restraint.”

            All things considered, the entire experience attending the symphony was a positive one. I was in a state of acoustic Zen for most of the ride, and a feeling of classical musical enlightenment washed over me as I left the venue. Hearing a master violinist, a master opera-singer, and a master conductor leading a master orchestra all in one sitting was an extravagant experience.