New Century Chamber Orchestra with Daniel Hope at First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto, February 5, 2016

NCCO presents Hope for Menuhin featuring Daniel Hope leading the New Century Chamber Orchestra
First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto
625 Hamilton Ave, Palo Alto, CA
8:00 PM, Friday, February 5, 2016

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[8:02 PM lights down]

J. S. Bach (1685-1750): Concerto in D Minor for 2 Violins, Strings and Basso Continuo, BWV 1043 (ca. 1718)

1. [8:03 PM] Vivace
2. [8:07 PM] Largo, ma non tanto
3. [8:13 PM] Allegro
   [work ends 8:17 PM]

[brief speech by Daniel Hope to introduce the next two works]

1. [8:18 PM] Arvo Pärt (b. 1935): Darf ich… for Solo violin, Tubular Bell (in C sharp) and Strings (1995, revised 1999)

1. [8:25 PM] Philip Glass (b. 1937): Echorus for 2 Violins and Strings (1995)

[brief speech by Daniel Hope to introduce the last work of the set]

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847): Concerto in D minor for Violin and Strings, MWV O 3 (1822)

1. [8:34 PM] Allegro
2. [8:44 PM] Andante
3. [8:52 PM] Allegro
   [set ends 8:56 PM]

[9:16 PM lights down]

Antonio Vivaldi: L'Estro Armonico, Op. 3, Concerto No. 8 in A minor for 2 Violins and strings, RV 522 (1711)

1. [9:16 PM] Allegro
2. [9:20 PM] Larghetto e spiritoso
3. [9:26 PM] Allegro
   [work ends 9:27 PM]

1. [9:30 PM] Bechara El-Khoury (b.1957): Unfinished Journey – in memorium Yehudi Menuhin, for violin and string orchestra, Op. 77 (2009)
   [work ends 9:37 PM]

1. [9:37 PM] Toru Takemitsu: Nostalghia - in Memory of Andrei Tarkovskij, for Solo Violin and Strings (1987)
   [work ends 9:53 PM]

Béla Bartók (1881-1945): Six Romanian Folk Dances, Sz. 68, BB 76; (?arr. Willner?)

1. [9:55 PM] Bot tánc / Jocul cu bâtă (Stick Dance)
2. [9:56 PM] Brâul (Sash Dance)
3. [9:57 PM] Topogó / Pe loc (In One Spot)
4. [9:58 PM] Bucsumí tánc / Buciumeana (Dance from Bucsum)
5. [10:00 PM] Román polka / Poarga Românească (Romanian Polka)
6. [10:01 PM] Aprózó / Mărunțel (Fast Dance)
   [show ends 10:03 PM, all off after a minute or so]

New Century Chamber Orchestra

• Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg: music director; (absent tonight)
• others vary slightly by performance, some day I'll dig out my program and add them to this page.

• Daniel Hope: violin.

The first set tonight was awesome. Lots of super high energy stuff in the first and last pieces. Daniel Hope is truly a virtuoso – and after hearing him tonight, I think he'd be a terrific replacement for Nadja once she leaves after next season. Of course, that's sheer speculation on my part – and when I asked the NCCO staff if tonight's show was a try out, they just looked at me funny. Seemed like a reasonable idea to me…

Anyways, I thought the first set was super. Double plus good! Great energy during the opening and closing works, and serious melodicism throughout the Part and Glass pieces mid-set. I was buzzed and floating during set break. Wow wow wow!

Unfortunately, the second set failed to meet or exceed the standard established by the first. Not that it was bad, only not as good. The Vivaldi opener was certainly high quality stuff, delivered at breakneck speed that reminded me of watching Looney Tunes as a kid, where the heads and eyeballs of the characters go snapping outward from centrifugal force while their vehicle goes careening around steep curves. Wa-hooooo! (Insert YouTube reference?)

Things bogged down a bit with the next two pieces. One slow work – or two short slow pieces, perhaps – wouldn't have killed the mood too badly, but somehow I just couldn't get into the right head-space to appreciate the Takemitsu piece. Time just dragged through that whole interminable bit. The pace and energy picked up with the Bartok closer, but being so brief – ? Five movements in seven minutes? – it was a case of too little, too late. Ah well. I'm sure it's tough to program shows to please everybody, and I'm happy enough about the fraction that I enjoyed.

David Bratman posted a review of tonight's gig at SFCV.

If you'd like to check out alternative performances of the final work, listen Daniel's mentor, Yehudi Menuhin, recorded in 1944 with Marcel Gazelle, or David Oistrakh with Inna Kollegorskaya, from 1947. Both recordings are superb!

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2016 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2016 event list! ☸ On to the next event!