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LINDSAY DEUTSCH
CapeCodOnline.com
September 28, 2009
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Symphony offers autumn tribute
By John Murelle
The start of a new season is often filled with
great emotion, expectation and joy. This passion
is an inspiring context for orchestral
compositions.
Saturday evening the Cape Cod Symphony,
under the direction of its music director Jung-Ho
Pak, presented an imaginative concert of fallinspired works by composers from Italy,
Argentina and Russia as well as America.
The program began with a grouping of short
compositions. First was the fall movement from
“The Four Seasons” by Antonio Vivaldi. This
music is as much a part of classical music’s top
40 as Beethoven’s Fifth.
And with Lindsay Deutsch, a captivating
soloist, setting the tone, the listener was
once again reminded of its grace.
Only in her mid-20s, Deutsch is nevertheless
a confident and intelligent soloist. Her
gorgeous presence focused the other
musicians on stage as well as the audience
to the charm of this beloved composition.
She performed her solo duties without the
need of printed music while sharing her
playfulness and understanding with all.
American composer Paul Salerni was in the
audience to hear his composition “Autumn
Leaves in Parco Querini,” composed for solo
violin. Deutsch’s thoughtful and musical
approach, however, could not bring this work off
the page and into the hall.
I was first introduced to the music of Astor
Piazzolla with Yo-Yo Ma’s 1997 recording, “The
Soul of the Tango.” Piazzolla’s music is complex
and exacting while also being sensuous.
The
symphonic
selection
for
this
performance was the 1969 composition,
“Otoño Porteño” (Buenos Aires Autumn).
The
orchestra,
again
with
Deutsch,
convincingly brought Piazzolla’s tango
music onto the concert stage while
maintaining its origins in popular culture.
The other soloist for the Piazzolla was first cellist
Bo Ericsson, who played with arresting richness
and beauty.
After a full first half, which included the autumn
movement of Alexander Glazunov’s “The
Seasons,” conductor and orchestra launched
into the major work of the evening,
Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 4,” composed in
1878.
“Symphony No. 4” is full of compelling melodies
that seamlessly meld into one another. The
composition possesses a relentless restlessness
that propels the music forward to its climatic
conclusion. The orchestra has the job of holding
this tension taut throughout the symphony.
The performers impressed with their confidant,
dynamically rich performance. It would be
difficult to single out a particular instrumental
solo or section to praise; the orchestra made
music as one, with maestro Pak leading the
symphony to its powerful finale.
The opening of the Cape Cod Symphony
Orchestra’s 48th season – its third under the
leadership of Pak – clearly illustrated that our
hometown orchestra has become a major
performing arts organization.
And by the look of the nearly sold-out auditorium
at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center, this is
no longer a secret.
John Murelle teaches voice and music
appreciation at his voice studio in East
Sandwich and at the Cape Cod Conservatory.