Text: Ivan BARKOV
Photo of the author
YAKUTIA.INFO. The “Symphonica ARTica’s” concert was filled with atmosphere of American big bands’ legendary epoch. The concert was dedicated to one of the most dynamic cities on the world – New-York. At a furious pace of the city two composers’ music (George Gershwin and Leonard Bernstein) was fully represented.
Despite the fact that almost all works had already been played by the orchestra, there were some exceptions. For example, for the first time the symphonic orchestra performed colourful work of Gershwin called “An American in Paris”. Before the concert it was played only by the wind orchestra conducted by Pavel Vaskovsky. On the concert it was represented in all it’s music undertones, which the work itself consists of as the author created it exactly for a symphonic orchestra.
The program started with a very dynamic “Cuba Overture” by Gershwin, which was a wonderful prologue for this almost jazz program – rare thing in the Philharmonic. It seemed like many musicians while representing the work got the light of the rhythms. A special place in the work was taken parts of double-basses, creating all this amazing dynamic.
There was also a premiere in the program. In “The Concert for Piano Forte with Orchestra F-major” by Gershwin the part of piano forte was played by Kseniya Zolotykh. Wonderful training of Yunona Upkholova is clear (the soloist has still been a student at the Higher Music School) moreover in such jazz context. But it was not the only soloist in the concert’s program. One of the most moving and popular melodies of Gershwin called “Summertime” from the composer’s opera “Porgy and Bess” was performed by the first violin of the orchestra Ulyana Golikova. By the way, Pavel Vaskovsky promised that this opera will be played in full concert variant in future for sure.
“In spite of the fact that Gershwin did not have any musical education he had intuition at heart. Amazing intonations, glissando – all this is written in the notes. “An American in Paris” is all about changes in tempo, pictures, like if you are watching a movie. In general for a symphonic orchestra it is quite complicated to play such “jazz” works. If to speak about constant tempo changes, we have to mention that in this case one has to “feel” it. That is why it is easier for us to play Mozart or Beethoven. And here we have to show the style” – the conductor tells.
The vocal part of the concert was taken by the Philharmonic’s Chorus. The spirituals performed by the artists were not directly connected with New-York, but were more like about Southern states and New Orleans. Nevertheless, due to the general African American basis of the program the represented works complemented the atmosphere of the evening.
