Berkeley Symphony Orchestra: The Illuminators
Zellerbach Hall Auditorium
U.C. Berkeley
Bancroft Way at Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA
8 PM, Thursday, February 7, 2013

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[7:56 PM musicians onstage and prepping]

[8:03 PM Lights down; Introduction by Rene Mandel; Comments by Joana Carneiro & Andreia Pinto-Correia]

[8:21 PM work ends]

[8:24 PM resume]

i. Introduction
ii. Four Episodes
iii. Cantilena
iv. Finale
[work ends 8:52 PM]

• Lento con gran espressione

Lynn Harrell: cello (solo).

[set ends 8:58 PM]

[9:21 PM Go!]

• Non allegro
• Andante con moto (Tempo di valse)
• Lento assai - Allegro vivace - Lento assai. Come prima - Allegro vivace.
  

[show ends 9:59 PM]

• Joana Carneiro: conductor;
• (BSO members to be identified later)

One of my favorite things about the Berkeley Symphony is their consistently adventurous approach to programming. I like hearing new pieces (even if they don't always come together very well), and I prefer hearing something new over yet another rehash of the tired old warhorses in the classical repertoire.

So given that bias, I thought tonight's show was a fine effort.

The opening work by Andreia Pinto-Correia, Alfama seemed a bit wispy and slight, consisting mostly of an ethereal mood and some motion in interesting textures, but as an appetizer, it was fine. It will be interesting to hear the work again in the context of the full suite that Pinto-Correia mentions this as part of.

I admit to being unfamiliar with Witold Lutosławski, and I was unprepared for the charm and wit evidenced by his Cello Concerto. Much of the credit here should go to Lynn Harrell, who put on a bravura performance, acting his part near as much as playing it – and from memory as well! What with my own tendency to be absent-minded, I really appreciate seeing performers who play from memory rather than reading a score.

No doubt, the audience agreed with me, and the uproarious applause induced Harrell to share a little more with us, a briefly exquisite rendering of Chopin's final Nocturne. It would have been nice to know who arranged the work for cello, but if Harrell mentioned anything in that respect, I missed it!

After intermission, the concert closed with a valiant attempt at at Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances. My guess is that the orchestra could have used a bit more rehearsal time on this one. While the performance sounded fine on the whole, there were numerous instances where I caught myself wondering if certain entrances had been miscounted, or if the synchrony of parts wasn't meant to be sharper and less blurred. I don't mean to be slinging mud at the Symphony – I think they do a great job on a limited budget – but the sloppiness I heard that separates the BSO from San Francisco Symphony (a notch higher in overall musicality, if significantly less adventurous in their programming) or from world-class touring ensembles (the real pros!) gets me thinking once more about whether I'm being too picky when I listen.

Back to the previous event ☸ Back to the 2013 yearbox ☸ Back to the 2013 event list! ☸ On to the next event!