Lexington Philharmonic opens season with its new conductor
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Review: Newly energized Philharmonic season starts with a bang
By Loren Tice Contributing Classical Music Critic
Scott Terrell and Dame Evelyn Glennie led a discussion prior to Terrell's debut and Glennie's performance with the Lexington Philharmonic at the Singletary Center Friday night.
Scott Terrell conducted the orchestra in his debut as music director with the Lexington Philharmonic at the Singletary Center Friday evening. Terrell had plenty of family and friends in attendance, and shared the stage with star percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie.
A nearly full crowd of 1,200 people Friday night was one sign of an exciting start for Scott Terrell’s tenure as permanent music director and conductor of the Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra.
Even better was the pre-concert lecture in a far-too-small room by Terrell and the night’s guest artist, percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, both supremely articulate speakers. Their presentation could have been billed “Why We Care So Much.”
And what a relief at the 8 o’clock hour: no speeches, just an announcement and then music. Now that is a professional ambience that respects the seriousness of its audience.
Terrell’s body language is approachable, enthusiastic and precise. And the orchestra demonstrated its respect for him every step of the way. The opening piece, Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80 by Johannes Brahms, was crisp and ebullient. Typical Brahms cross-rhythms were negotiated with ease. Some entries sounded like Brahms’ beard looked, but this is early in the year. There was an unsuspected moment in the Brahms when it hit the ear: Principal oboist Nancy Clauter is back. Last spring’s concerts did have fine oboe playing, but Clauter’s tone is unique.
If I were ordering this concert, I would have next placed the Antonio Vivaldi Piccolo Concerto in C Major, RV 443 (played by Glennie on the vibraphone), then Antonin Dvorak’s Carnival Overture, Op. 95, and finished with the astounding Joseph Schwantner Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra, which was whipped into a frenzy by Glennie, the world’s most famous solo percussionist, and her new friends in the Philharmonic. A concerto is never given finale status, but Schwantner’s 1995 piece was by far the emotional core of the concert.
The actual concert-ender, the Dvorak, was tremendous collegial fun. The most fun of it was watching Terrell. You could tell that he was mentally all over the stage.
The balance of the orchestral sound was off, though. Trumpets were on a very low riser, and French horns were on the floor. Neither had punch. Strangely, the tuba was projected as if it were mega-phoned. Perhaps it’s the acoustical clouds above. There was a positive to the changes: If the string sound was not envelopingly warm, it was toned and firm.
The Vivaldi Piccolo Concerto was dazzling as played on the vibraphone, but it certainly wasn’t Baroque. Why swamp its delicate flurries with full strings and not a chamber group? All is forgiven, though, for the true rapture we felt in the slow movement.
Glennie is without doubt one of the wonders of world music. For one thing, this very small woman made more violence upon a battery of drums than any 300-pound football lineman could do. It goes to show that speed begets loudness, not force. But her speed had a level of intensity and drive that was totally mesmerizing. On the other hand, can you imagine making a bass drum the most soulful sound you’ve ever heard? As it inserted itself into mournful strings (in tribute to the sudden death of a composer friend of Schwantner’s), the drum groaned in disbelief.
That the Schwanter concerto was chosen for Terrell’s inaugural concert in Lexington is fitting, in that one of the finest college departments in this area is UK’s percussion program, led by Jim Campbell. The coordination of this orchestra’s percussionists with Glennie in an extremely difficult piece was spot-on, as was the whole concert.
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