THE ARTS ETC
______________________________________________________________
Kevin Rhodes, Music Director and Conductor
Joyce Yang, Piano
November 5, 2011 at 7:30 PM
We know that with Music Director Kevin Rhodes, what we see is what we get. In this duplicitous age, Rhodes' candor refreshes. He shares much of who he is through his "Rhodes' Reflections" column in the program. Recently he wrote, "The season I've been wanting to present to you for 10 years finally beings tonight as we begin an exploration of our own rich musical heritage . . ."
Given the fall-out (literally) of the huge snow storm and the build up of snow captured by leaves still tethered to trees, and the advent of strong winds, the crashing of limbs and trees came as no surprise. Losing power for a day or two was doable but for days and nights that stretched to a full week (even more for many, especially in Connecticut) was unacceptable. Chances are everyone who attended the concert had a story about how they coped with the storm and its multi-faceted opportunities for causing multiple inconveniences.
It’s safe to conjecture that we, the populace, were bruised. Routines were torpedoed. The romance of candlelight got old jack quick. I was absorbed into a household that had every workable convenience except cable. The caterwauling that inspired became laughable. As an upended society, we were discombobulated. We latched on to the familiar. We headed for Symphony Hall.
Within the initial moments of American composer Samuel Barber’s exquisite Adagio for Strings, layers of stress began to peel away. I imagined I could feel the gifted hands of a masseuse kneading and stroking knots of tension until the week that was, was neutralized. How serendipitous was the choice of the piece! The brief musical respite provided a speeded-up emotional healing. Amazing! The evening was blessed by a heavenly beginning.
Based upon hearing American William Schuman’s Symphony No. 3 for the first time, I think repeated exposure has the capacity to win me over. I heard similar comments regardless of the symphonic exposure – from academe, or decades as a season ticket holder, or a recent cross-over from years as a Broadway affectional’do to someone who was attendeing her first symphony concert ever – “Give me more exposure, and I bet I fall in love with it because the musicians were outstanding.” Yes, the SSO musicians are exceptional. Their talent exists; Kevin Rhodes imparts the courage, the confidence, to become more than they thought they could become. Maybe an unscripted Schuman No. 3 could be squeezed into a program a year from now, see how it flies. Better yet: buy or borrow a disc and try to wear it out. Bottom line: there were strong, compelling moments.
The excitement of the evening was generated by the anticipation of Rachmaninoff’s demanding Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor performed by a rocketing pianist – Joyce Yang, born and raised in Korea, at age four becoming a piano forte student guided by her aunt, and ultimately educated at Juilliard.
She made a stunning entrance as she walked across the stage in a floor-length persimmon column with its tailored layers of silky material mimicking her moves. At age 25, Miss Yang’s poise suggested she has felt at home on the stage for years. And why shouldn’t she? Her credentials are impressive. She has performed with some of the world’s most esteemed orchestras. She was invited to appear with the SSO by Maestro Rhodes based upon hearing her perform the Rachmaninoff concerto. The intricacies of the score have defeated other soloists but Rachmaninoff’s Third does not intimidate Joyce Yang. Based upon what I have read about her supervised development into a concert pianist, her dedication and joy to her art, and now having heard her play, I think it's safe to believe her initial forays into the score deepened her respect for
Rachmaninoff.
From the brooding, opening chords – golden brown murky water, borderline swampy – the young virtuoso made contact with the keys without flamboyance. She and the piano demonstrated their friendship. She played with precision, with passion, and always with discipline. Elegant. As a member of the orchestra. My sightlines were not of her hands but of her feet. When the pace was frenetic, her long bright red gown looked like it was on fire – a fiery waterfall. No matter how complicated or demanding, her pedaling technique was cleanShe played the piano to a fare-thee-well. There was no superfluous motion, no empty gestures, no ridiculous drama. The young woman released music into the air which connected with a myriad of emotions.
How interesting it will be to follow Miss Yang’s career as she becomes more proficient, more confident about injecting her own feelings into a phrase, a slight pause.
For an encore, she surprised the audience (quipping “Now that I’m warmed up”) with Gershwin’s The Man I Love played with fascinating tenderness and assertiveness, elevating the piece to a Shakespearean sonnet.
The season Kevin Rhodes has been wanting to present to us for 10 years has begun.
I