Goodman's MCO finale place to be

Thu, 19 May 2005
by Gwenda Nemerofsky
Manitoba Chamber Orchestra
Connie Gitlin, clarinet
Westminster United Church, Tuesday, May 17
Attendance: 690

Westminster United Church was abuzz with anticipation this week at Manitoba Chamber Orchestra's final concert of the season. It was the last performance Roy Goodman would conduct, and it was the place to be. To celebrate his six years at the helm, Goodman had selected a program "out of the top drawer of chamber orchestra repertoire," -- a program sure to please.

Returning to the solo stage after too long a hiatus was former WSO principal clarinetist Connie Gitlin, performing Carl Maria von Weber's Concertino for Clarinet and Orchestra. Gitlin displays the clarinet at its absolute best -- with an impeccably clean tone and technique to spare.

She is a classic player, possessing great finesse: sliding over the most technical passages and floating through the most challenging intervals with ease. With wonderful phrasing, lightness of expression and tone colour that expresses what words never will, Gitlin just about stole the show.

Two enjoyable symphonies completed the program. Haydn's Symphony No. 92 (The Oxford) began with a slow, rich opening, an intriguing harbinger of more exciting things to come. Sure enough, the movement picked up into a bright and spirited allegro.

Goodman nearly bounced off the podium as he directed the orchestra in a most vivacious performance. Many operatic qualities abound in this movement with glittering woodwind solos throughout. The ensemble managed to keep the agitated presto lyrical despite the plentiful notes and race-like pace. Goodman was fascinating to watch, hunching over in a peculiar kind of stance, then waving himself out of it vigorously. The orchestra played well, tightly and with conviction.

The final work of the evening was Mozart's mighty Symphony No. 41 (The Jupiter,) "the most exciting work he ever wrote," according to Goodman. The orchestra approached the first movement energetically. Unfortunately, the first violin section struggled with intonation and synchronization, making for a halting opening. Bassoonists Vince Ellin and James Ewen made particularly strong showings in parts they could really sink their teeth into. Goodman took this at a good heart-pumping pace.

The andante was a nice change in mood, featuring the violas and cellos in a lovely dulcet line and superb flute and oboe solos.

The finale brought it all home. Goodman's very physical direction rallied the orchestra, who finished with a most exuberant performance. This must be what MCO general manager Vicki Young was referring to when she said that Roy Goodman "brought a different kind of spark to things."

It's a spark that ignited the hearts of musicians and audience members for six years.

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Passions run high on night of tango

Binelli shines during Piazzola compositions

Thu, 24 Jan 2005
by Holly Harris
Manitoba Chamber Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, guest conductor
Daniel Binelli, bandoneón
Westminster United Church, Wednesday, February 23
Attendance: 625

Like a steamy tango, Argentine bandoneón master Daniel Binelli's performance at last night's Manitoba Chamber Orchestra concert was passionate but always in control, and one step ahead of sheer sentimentality.

The orchestra was led by guest conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, a magnificent conductor who is only at the beginning of what will hopefully be a long and distinguished career. The rapport he has with the musicians is obvious, and his warmth and musicality shone throughout.

As a first cousin of the accordion, the bandoneón is the sound of the tango, and the instrument of famed Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla. Stating "I wish for my music to be heard in the year 2020," it is easy to understand why having artists such as Daniel Binelli around will ensure this will be the case.

Inescapably wonderful

Piazzolla's Milonga Del Angel for string orchestra is an inescapably wonderful work. Having Binelli perform it for us made it that much better. From the plaintive tone of the opening section, this artist wrung every shade of emotion from his instrument. Whether thumping through bordello rhythms or wheezing and gasping through its leather bellows, it bears a close relationship to the human voice in terms of expressiveness and dynamic range. Binelli made it speak.

The Milonga itself a South American style of song that became popular in the 1870s. As a forerunner of the tango, there is always a temptation to take the tempo too fast. Nézet-Séguin's choice of pacing was exactly right, and how much more eloquently this work became because of it. Binelli, as one might expect, was given a round of sustained applause by an enthusiastic audience of 625. A treat to hear

Also on this Latin-infused program was Villa-Lobos' Bachianas Brasileiras No. 9, for Strings. A treat to hear, this Brazilian tribute to Bach was beautifully performed, with an expansive prelude opening the work. This was followed by an extended fugue with an unusual 11/8 time signature.

Randolph Peters' Tango showed us the rougher side of tango, with lyrical themes broken by violent outbursts from the orchestra. Originally composed for the Kronos String Quartet in 1991, Peters re-tooled this work specially for this concert. Featuring textural effects performed by the strings, Peters' Tango never allowed us to become complacent, and the final rendition of the theme was coloured by underlying tension.

The centrepiece of the evening was Piazzolla's Concerto for Bandoneón, a three-movement work that showcased Binelli. With improvised sections similar to jazz, this symphonic work was notable for its orchestration, allowing us to hear this bordello instrument contrasted with classical orchestral percussion instruments.

Binelli received a well deserved standing ovation at the conclusion of this satisfying and unusual concert.

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Critical illness inspired evocative, lyrical work

Wed, 12 Jan 2005
by Holly Harris
Manitoba Chamber Orchestra
Baldur Brönnimann, guest conductor
Susanne Yi-Jia Hou, violin
Westminster United Church, Tuesday, January 11
Attendance: 575

Canadian violin sensation Susanne Yi-Jia Hou was the guest of honour at last night's Manitoba Chamber Orchestra concert, which also featured a world premiere by Canadian composer Allan Bell. The orchestra was led by Swiss conductor Baldur Brönnimann, whose direction was clean and clear.

Bell, who was in attendance at the concert, warned the audience that we should ignore his printed bio, and let his music speak for itself. But how could we? Composed after a critical illness that nearly claimed Bell's life, this contemplative work entitled Serenity depicted the "state of consciousness" he found himself in, when the "mind is very quiet."

This delicately textured piece began quietly with finger cymbals, growing to shimmering veils of sound scored for the strings, harp and percussion.

This CBC-commissioned work featured lyrical melodic material that was passed between a violin solo, violas, cellos, and basses.

Although the lyrical, reaching themes were evocative, the general episodic nature of these sections seemed to work against the overall cohesion and coherence of the work.

Still, it was clearly a piece composed from the heart, and the hush that fell over the audience at the end of the performance was moving. Hou is a young violinist who is rapidly gaining a worldwide reputation for her virtuosic playing. Making her first public performance at the tender age of 5, her passion and focus was evident in the tour de force Concerto Cantabile Concerto Cantabile for Violin and Strings (1997) by 20th century Russian composer Rodion Shchedrin.

Self-described as a "post-avant-garde" composer, Shchedrin's brooding work was full of dark undertones and a pervasive, underlying tension between the soloist and orchestra. This was not a piece about fire and brimstone. What it was, however, was a mature work full of knotty tension that demanded the utmost of the performer in terms of musical insight and conviction. The petite soloist more than rose to the occasion, garnering a standing ovation.

A clever combination of Bach's sprightly Brandenburg Concerto, No. 3, in G, followed by Stravinsky's Concerto in E Flat, Dumbarton Oaks (in turn, inspired by the Bach) rounded out the second half of the program.

Stravinsky's light-hearted work was a pleasure to hear. Named for the estate of Washington, D.C. arts patron Robert Woods bliss, its curious blend of Americana influences (a la Copland) were always framed within his distinctive style. The contrapuntal nature of the music was never overbearing, and the sonorities and rhythmic drive was always, irrefutably, Stravinsky.

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Orchestra captures frosty wonders of first snowfall

Wed, 8 Dec 2004
by Gwenda Nemerofsky
Manitoba Chamber Orchestra
Keri-Lynn Wilson, guest conductor
The Winnipeg Singers; Ellen Wieser, soprano; Mel Braun, baritone
Westminster United Church, Tue, Dec 7
Attendance: 750

Who doesn't love a Christmas Concert? Those first strains of seasonal music set a familiar festive mood; conjuring up scents of pine, wet mittens and peppermint. So it was last night at the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra's convivial holiday concert with international .guest conductor, Winnipeg's own Keri-Lynn Wilson.

The church was decorated for the season with poinsettias edging the stage and a lighted wreath hanging at the front. The occasionally quirky yet charming Schoenberg arrangement of Johann Strauss Jr.'s Kuiserwaltz opened the program. With flowing lightness, Wilson and the orchestra captured the frosty wonder of the first snowfall with seam1ess phrasing in this classic waltz. Wilson's direction is very expressive yet tidy. She is clear about what she wants and nothing is lost in translation. If this was an audition, she's a keeper.

The mood abruptly changed with Alban Berg's arrangement of Wine, Women and Song, also by Strauss. Especially interesting was the rare opportunity to hear the harmonium, played by Shannon Hiebert in duet with pianist Irmgard Baerg in a rather strange, subdued duet.

The entire work is chameleon-like, constantly changing — from the subdued to the majestic, then finally into the familiar waltz. Perhaps a little more Berg than Strauss.

In case we hadn't had enough waltz music there was one more to go — Roses from the South (Strauss arr. Schoenberg). The piano and harmonium touches lent a perplexing texture to the piece and the cellos and basses 'oompahed' along, comically interfering with the melody line. Perhaps the violins had taken one too many turns on the dance floor, for they struggled with their upper register, producing some painfully out of tune notes that bordered on screeches. This was an unfortunate way to end the first half of an otherwise enjoyable program.

In Terra Pax, by Gerald Finzi, is a gem of a work, written for chorus, strings, harp and cymbal.

Its gentle opening melody, played first on harp and then by the violins, pulls on the heartstrings immediately. Mel Braun, baritone, gave an adept and determined performance. Young soprano Ellen Wieser was a breath of fresh air, with her delicate voice and peaceful countenance. She showed no signs of effort as her light voice soared clearly to lofty heights. The Winnipeg Singers showed their amazing versatility and ability, floating in effortlessly on one entry, then demonstrating great power and volume on the next. The rich resonant viola section solo was another highlight of this wonderful work.

The Singers truly shone in Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Christmas Carols. From hearty and rousing to wonderfully sonorous, they are masters of their craft. Impeccably together with beautiful articulation, they made the end of every phrase a chef d'oeuvre. Bravo!

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Lively guest conductor stirs up chamber orchestra

Fri, 12 Nov 2004
by Holly Harris
Manitoba Chamber Orchestra
Scott Yoo, guest conductor
Katherine Chi, piano
Westminster United Church, Wed, Nov 10
Attendance: 510

Dynamic guest conductor Scott Yoo led the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra Wednesday night in a mostly British program that offered a new take on the old, as well as a world premiere by Canadian composer John Burge.
The diminutive Yoo was a joy to watch and appeared to be having a great time conducting the orchestra.

As a founding member and current music director of the Boston-based Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra, the high-octane conductor is also known for being a leading exponent and driving force for new music, with an admirable track record of commissioning com- posers to write for his ensemble.

Calgary-born guest pianist Katherine Chi gave a sparkling — and athletic — performance of late British composer Doreen Carwithen's Concerto for piano and strings (1948). It is a shame that this powerful, Russian-flavoured work is not heard more often, with Carwithen all too often dismissed as a 'woman composer' who never received full artistic recognition during her lifetime. The pianist's spiky interpretation of this tempestuous-yet-accessible music was especially dramatic with the solo piano passages. One may have wished for more suspense and nuance with the quieter sections of the third Finale movement, but this clearly was an aesthetic choice by the artist that served to balance the overall work.

The evening also featured Burge's A Light Fantastic Round for string orchestra, titled after a quotation by 17th-century English poet John Milton. This CBC commission was an ambitious work that appeared to have a split musical personality.

The opening canon of this one movement fantasia had a rhythmic homogeneity that sounded a bit thin. The mostly unison writing for the violins also obscured the cello and bass lines and did not fully exploit the sonic potential of the orchestra. Clever for sure, with some textural interest supplied by the lower strings' pizzicati, this first part nevertheless lacked a certain emotional depth and resonance.

But the following fugal section changed all that. With its plaintive glissandi and repetitive motivic figures, the work then showed its unabashedly romantic nature, with an expressive swell leading to its eventual tonal resolution.

When Burge composes from this emotional base, the music speaks. When caught up by the technical aspects of the craft, the work does not communicate as effectively for the listener. Still, despite this unevenness, Burge, who was in attendance at the concert, is to be commended for this solid work. Fans responded enthusiastically, stomped their feet, and gave the composer two curtain calls.

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Handel's genius gets fitting display

Wed, 20 Oct 2005
by Gwenda Nemerofsky
Manitoba Chamber Orchestra
Daniel Taylor and Suzie Leblanc
Westminster United Church, Tue Oct 19
Attendance: 650

"Handel is the greatest composer who ever lived. I would bare my head and kneel at his grave." So said Ludwig von Beethoven in 1824 of Georg Frideric Handel, whose music took centre stage at last night's season-opening concert of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra.

Renowned Canadian duo Daniel Taylor, countertenor and Suzie Leblanc performed duets and solo arias from some of Handel's best-Ioved operas.
It is easy to understand Beethoven's reverence. Handel composed for his public and understood what moved them.

A perfect example is Cara sposa from Rinaldo. With accompanying violins literally sighing, Taylor sang, expressing uncontrolled sorrow at the loss of his lover. You could hear the heartbreak. With superior purity of tone, his pain was palpable.

LebIanc's Lascia ch'io pianga from the same opera was another plaintive plea, although with more pride. As Almirena she was stately, with her head held high, literally and expressively, tackling the difficult modulations of the aria. Her voice has a wonderful floating quality, crystal clear — a marvellous instrument.

The singers performed several duets, including Se il cor ti perde from Tolomeo, Re d'Egitto, mounting the stage with Taylor pullmg Leblanc by her shawl while she resisted. Emoting great drama and expression, they sang to one another, looking absolutely miserable. One couldn't help but be struck by the remarkable blending of voices. They are perfectly matched Leblanc's voice ringing throughout the church more sonorously than any bell, Taylor producing notes as thick and sweet as honey. Nothing could have improved on this performance.

It was not all doom and gloom, however. The opening duet Scherzano sul tuo colto from Rinaldo was a more lively, cheerful aria, with the two singing each other's praises in a light give-and-take.

Between the singing; the orchestra performed several concerti grossi as musical interludes, much the way performances of theeraiwere programmed. Roy Goodman seems to have boundless energy, conducting very actively whileleaning over the harpsichord, then plunking himself down to play it vigorously. There was some strong solo work from the violin section first chairs; Karl Stobbe and Sinion MacDonald, and Yuri Hooker and Alex Adaman's cello duet was rich and rhythmic. Bassoonist Vince Ellin deserves recognition for his nimble solo.

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Anne Manson / Music Director and Conductor

MCO's 2010/11 season is sponsored by The Great-West Life Assurance Company.
Support has been received from Media sponsors The Winnipeg Free Press, CBC Radio One 990,
CBC Radio 2 98.3, Espace musique 89,9 and Golden West Radio. Heartstrings gala sponsor:
Mann Financial Assurance Limited. Sponsor of open dress rehearsals: Canadian Bridge Federation.
Arts Accessibility Program: Sun Life Financial.

© 2010 Manitoba Chamber Orchestra