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.