Ron Bierman - Page 8

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is thought by many to be the best in the United States and among the top five in the world. The orchestra's performance at San Diego's Jacob's Music Center provided absolutely no support for a contrary view. The program consisted of Schubert's 'Unfinished' eighth symphony, the Mozart clarinet concerto and Schumann's second symphony.

The Pirates of Penzance--opera or operetta? The answer to that question seems important to some opera lovers who believe a 'serious' opera company doesn't do operettas. Too bad for them if their doubts made them miss out on San Diego Opera's hugely entertaining production. A nearly sold-out audience laughed frequently as Gilbert and Sullivan made fun of inept but kind-hearted pirates, cowardly policeman trying their best, and even Queen Victoria, who made a non-singing appearance with the signature rotation of the raised royal hand. While musicologists, historians and purists at home argued about the correct classification of the work, excellent operatic singers delivered clever lyrics and threw themselves into the light-heartedly silly plot.

he San Diego Symphony's opening concert of the season featured a return appearance by Edo de Waart. The program consisted of Liszt's second piano concerto and Richard Strauss's Ein Heldenleben. De Waart has become a favorite guest conductor of orchestra members, and Symphony CEO Martha Gilmer. He consistently brings out the best sounds the orchestra and its soloists have to offer.

Bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi will be appearing in the San Diego Opera's production of Pirates of Penzance later this month. He and I met over an informal lunch to discuss that and much more.

San Diego's waterfront on a cool summer night seems the perfect spot for exciting Latin-flavored music by Alberto Ginastera, Astor Piazzolla and Maurice Ravel. Conductor Sameer Patel opened with Four Dances from Estancia by Ginastera. After an overly careful treatment of the first dance. The slow second was gorgeous, and more of Ginastera's risk-taking energy exploded as the lively third led to a satisfying near-frenzy in Malambo, the final dance.

Latin jazz inspired the latest concert in the San Diego Symphony's Bayside Summer Nights series. Gilbert Castellanos, the creative force behind the Symphony's jazz concerts, assembled an all-star Latin band for a tribute to past masters such as Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Mongo Santamaria. As usual, Castellanos's selection of talent from a huge network of jazz-world friends emphasized skill as much as national name-recognition. The band's lineup ran the gamut from baritone sax player Jean-Paul Balmat, perhaps more widely known outside of San Diego as a jazz educator, to three-time Grammy Award winner, pianist Oscar Hernandez.

A worse-for-wear Dr. John walked slowly to the piano with the help of two canes. He was no quicker while leaving the stage at the end of the set. But for over an hour in between, he and his sextet kept up an infectious funky beat, and his voice and piano playing erased half a century of his 76 years. Listeners felt an irresistible urge to tap feet, sway rhythmically, and sometimes laugh at the lyrics of songs such as 'How Come My Dog Don't Bark (When You Come 'Round)?' sung in Dr. John's inimitable raspy growl. Contrary to the title of his biggest hit, it was 'Right Place Right Time.'

As described in part one of the interview, Martha Gilmer works hard to expand San Diego Symphony audiences. That makes the summer program another priority. 'It's more ambitious than ever. We've really invested in it this year. And the results are spectacular. We already have advanced sales greater than those of past seasons.' Visiting artists include Leslie Odom Junior, Tony Bennett and Herb Alpert. There will also be a special program devoted to Broadway. Gilmer said Rob Fisher, 'Has created a program for San Diego, dedicated to the work of Bock and Harnik. Rob and I share a passion for little known musicals, but, of course, the second half will be Fiddler on the Roof.' Music director, conductor, and arranger Fisher's credits include Chicago, the recent revival of An American in Paris and many other successful productions.

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra is often cited as the best in the U. S. and one of the top five in the world. Martha Gilmer started there as an intern. Thirty-five years later she left the number two spot, vice president of artistic planning and audience development, to become CEO of the San Diego Symphony. We spoke about that, and much besides, at her office in the Jacobs Music Center. 'It wasn't that I really wanted to leave. It was an interesting opportunity to take what I'd learned there and apply it to a different orchestra. And I had never been a CEO. I'd always been in a sort of number two position, and so this gave me an opportunity to test myself in a new role ... San Diego intrigued me for a number of reasons.' She knew music director Jahja Ling had an excellent reputation, and was impressed when she heard the orchestr

“Mozart in a party mood,” conductor Michael Francis announced as he introduced the composer's Contra Dances to begin the concert. And the same party mood prevailed throughout much of the evening. The first and third movements of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No.1 owe a lot to the most spirited of Mozart's concertos; Mozart's Symphony in D Major, K. 204 (213a), was written while he was still heavily influenced by the easy-listening gallant style of the Manheim School; and Prokofiev's first symphony, which concluded the concert with a burst of youthful energy, is a tuneful delight written, with tongue in cheek, in the style of Haydn.

William Preucil has been the Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra's concertmaster since its first performance in 1989. He's also the concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, so you might guess he and his Festival Orchestra cohorts are an impressive collection of musicians. You'd be more right than you probably suspect. The symphony orchestras of Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, and Philadelphia are among those that have contributed 26 principals, and 11 additional concertmasters to this year's concert-schedule roster! It's an all-star group. If you don't live in San Diego, you might want to plan a vacation here to coincide with the orchestra's brief season. This year's festival began on June 2nd and extends through June 25th.

The improvement during Jahja Ling's 13-year tenure as conductor and music director has been extraordinary. Friday's performance of the last program before his retirement confirmed that with an exclamation point. In a 2016 interview by Beth Wood, Ling said this about his 2017 concerts, 'I chose pieces I feel very deeply in my heart … I want my last season to show my love for the people.' In a 2016 interview by Beth Wood, Ling said this about his 2017 concerts, 'I chose pieces I feel very deeply in my heart … I want my last season to show my love for the people.' In a 2016 interview by Beth Wood, Ling said this about his 2017 concerts, 'I chose pieces I feel very deeply in my heart … I want my last season to show my love for the people.'