Opening night - there is nothing quite like it. A sense of wonderment fills the air, as the orchestra sets up. The ordinary stage and seating area has an atmosphere of perfection, each hue of paint adorning the walls, each light shining down from above, each chair being placed are all choreographed to produce the precise conditions necessary for musical grace to evolve.
Evolve it does.
The stage was set, so to speak, by an adventurous idea from the Marin Symphony: Let's have the conductor interview a writer who is from the Bay Area, and has actually chosen the set list for the evening. Alasdair Neale and Tobias Wolff sit together and talk about themselves for an half hour, giving the audience members who attend the talk an experience of two bright minds getting ready to do what they (and we) enjoy immensely: Listen to Gershwin's music.
The talk being over, the Gala attendees pour in (having paid too much money to be bothered with opinions of people like writers and conductors), and soon the Big Bang of the night takes place. Mr. Neale walks on to stage to a cacophony of applause, bows a couple times, shakes the hand of the first-chair violinist several times, lets the audience know that the first chair violinist is basically the greatest thing ever, and finally takes the podium. Starting with Gershwin's Cuban Overture, from the beginning we can see the concentration and effort put forth by the conductor. He has all the merits of a good conductor: Present, concerned, polite and energetic. In my experience, he really cares for the piece he is recreating. During the talk beforehand Mr. Neale shed light on his views and the humility of his own profession, saying that a conductor's job is to merely re-create a feeling of what the composer would have liked to hear his-or-herself. Well Alasdair recreated a sound and an experience for the evening that even Gershwin would not have been bored with.
By the end of the second piece, Catfish Row Suite, Alasdair had settled a bit more into his groove, being not as concerned and not as tense, but still energetic. Which was a good thing, because it was time for Rhapsody in Blue. Keisuke Nakagoshi commanded the piano for this piece, and had an interpretation of the work that is seldom heard from this continent. With a falling-over-himself style at times, the solos seemed splendidly choreographed as if one trip-up could send the whole thing flying, except he never does. Rather, like Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story, he seemed to be "Falling...with style." Very nicely done, in one humble opinion.
All in all, the night was a success. I say that not because every single musician on stage was the highest caliber possible. But like a good football play, you need to use your best players where they will be most effective. The first chair violinist, the oboe and the first chair cello were all in top form, leading the way for an exciting and original take on Gershwin's beautifully-inspired work. Using your key players to their potential is what makes a good conductor great, and a fine night at the symphony evolve into something awe-inspiring and wonderful.
EBAC thanks the Marin Symphony for access to this concert.
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