Love was in the air last Friday night at Proctors, as the Albany Symphony gave the audience a musical valentine with selections from Prokofiev's Romeo & Juliet, Roussell's Bacchus et Ariane, Suite No. 2, and Ethel Smyth's Concerto for Violin and French Horn. The historic vaudeville theatre, turned performing arts complex in Downtown Schenectady, was the perfect setting for such a romantic evening.
“I love the orchestra. I’m such a fan of what they do here, how they approach their music-making, which is with passion, involvement, and excellent.”
JoAnn Falletta, music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic, spent two days with the musicians of the Albany Symphony shaping and arranging each work into a beautiful bouquet. Did you know that Roussel and Prokoviev extracted two suites' worth of music from full-length ballets? Roussel's Bacchus et Arianne Suite No. 2 tells the mythological tale of love between Ariane and Bacchus, the God of Wine and Prokovief's suite musically illustrates the tragic love story of two star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet.
“Roussel’s Suite from his ballet “Bacchus et Ariane” was cute and picturesque and climaxed with a carousel of sound. ”
The centerpiece of the performance was a double concerto composed by English suffragist Dame Ethel Smyth. Albany Symphony Concertmaster Jill Levy and Buffalo Philharmonic Principal Horn Jacek Muzyk, were coupled together to bring this interesting and challenging work to life.
“Smyth’s Concerto for Horn and Violin was an fascinating dialogue between two different species of instruments. The excellent soloists were violinist Jill Levy, the ASO concertmaster, and Jacek Muzyk, principal horn of the Buffalo Philharmonic.”
Who is Dame Ethel Smyth? Born in 1868, in the London Borough of Bexley, Smyth was a woman who went her own way and left her mark as a composer. She defied the will of her father, Major General John Hall Smyth, and studied composition at Leipzig Conservatory. She eventually left the conservatory and began studying privately with Heinrich von Herzogenberg, who introduced her to Clara Schumann and Brahms. In 1910, Ethel Smyth left composing to be on the front lines of the suffragist movement in England. Ethel is credited for writing the suffragists anthem, the March of the Women.
“The Prokofiev, in one semblance or another, has become a repertoire staple that seldom fails to satisfy. There’s youthful music, both gracious and urgent, plus striding themes and surefire drama, all of which spoke clearly. What really drew the ear were some of the more intimate sections that Falletta included. ”
Photo Credit: Eric Berlin and Gary Gold Photography
DID YOU MISS THE CONCERT? DO YOU WANT TO HEAR IT AGAIN?
Hear the performance on Sunday, March 8, 2020 on WMHT LIVE. Tune in at 6PM on-air at 89.1FM Albany, 88.7FM Poughkeepsie or listen online anywhere at WMHT.org/classical.