23/09/2023
When the SA Philharmonic opened its first season a year ago, the results were on the scruffy side – not a surprise considering the circumstances that brought it into being.
When the SA Philharmonic opened its second season, Sept. 22 in First Baptist Church, the results were … what’s the opposite of scruffy? Taut? Confident? Glistening?
Yes!
Jeffrey Kahane, last here in 2019, returned to conduct, and the guest soloist in Edouard Lalo’s “Symphonie espagnole” was violinist Chee-Yun. The orchestra closed the concert with Stravinsky’s 1945 version of this “Firebird” Suite.
Both of those standard works got splendid performances, but the evening’s revelation was ‘Mariachitlan,” by Los Angeles-based Juan Pablo Contreras.
A tribute to the musical traditions of the c0mposer’s native Jalisco, “Mariachitlan” opens with a boisterous impersonation of competing mariachi groups, playing in competing keys. Soon the mariachi bands put away their instruments (yes, you can hear that) and a lovely waltz ensues. References to other dance and song forms follow, but this music is far from pastiche. Contreras surprises with sudden shifts of mood, color, tempo. Wild dissonances intrude here and there. The compositional craft is top-notch. If the structure is episodic, the music is unified by the composer’s unique voice. And it packs so much fun into 10 minutes that the Texas Legislature might just outlaw it. Kahane deserves credit for holding the orchestra firmly together while keeping the music flowing with a sense of freedom.
Decades ago the “Symphonie espagnole” – in effect a five-movement violin concerto – made frequent appearances on concert programs. It’s fallen out of fashion lately, probably because, though pleasurable, it’s not quite a masterpiece and a lot of competition has arisen in the 150 years since its premiere. Chee-Yun essayed the piece in exactly the right way, with brilliant technical facility balanced by a lightness of touch and a wonderful variety of color.
The 1945 version of the “Firebird” Suite was welcome for including about six minutes of the full ballet score that aren’t in the more familiar 1919 version. The performance was first-class all the way, with transparent balances, precise ensemble, and beautiful sound from all quarters. The “Infernal Dance” opened with a delightfully terrifying blast.
