Page 26 - PGA Community News - March '23

Page 26, PGA C.A.N.! March 2023 March 2023
Rex Recommends

By Rex Hearn from Mozart’s Le Clemenza di Tito. Naturally chosen to death of Stalin in 1953 he returned to the symphonic genre
Palm Beach Opera show off her amazing range, she delivered in spades; the after an eight-year silence and made the 2nd movement of
March 24 to 26, this Figaro songs fast and romantic with some lovely quiet the 10th Symphony a “Musical Portrait of Stalin.” In total,
distinguished company passages and the Tito aria yearning and rueful, its dramatic Shostakovich wrote 15 symphonies.
present Verdi’s comic melancholy nicely spun out. In, Franz Lehar’s Vilja Palm Beach Symphony played this 10th Symphony
masterpiece, Falstaff. Taken Graham had the audience sing the chorus; she conducted like demons possessed. It was a magnificent performance.
from The Merry Wives of them well! A Berlioz aria from Les Troyens did not belong Briefly, the 1st movement marked “Moderato” was a
Windsor and Henry lV by here, but again, it showed her magnificent ability with sincere work re-establishing the composers’ bona fides.
Christopher Marlowe, I’m scales and runs. Returning after a superb performance by It rambles and uncoils in heavenly ways so pleasing
of the belief Marlowe wrote the orchestra of Debussy’s Prelude a L’apres midi d’un on the ear. Movement 2, Allegro, the Stalin portrait, is
the bard of Avon’s plays. faune she sang Gershwin’s Fascinating Rhythm at speed, rambunctious, noisy, with militaristic brass featured
Verdi, in retirement some and Richard Rodgers Sound of Music – the song. prominently. The 3rd movement is contemplative. Using
years, had visits from his friend and librettist, Arrigo Boito. A high school performance of this musical decided signature notes to spell out his own name, he also spells
Sensing the old man’s restlessness, Boito left a copy of his her to switch from 12 years of piano to singing. Our gain! out, in notes, the name of a pupil from before 1948, pianist
draft of Falstaff for Verdi to find after one of his visits. The Her encore, perfect for her true mezzo range was, Climb and composer, Elmira Nazirova, who said of him “he was
trick worked. At 80 years of age Verdi produced a brilliant Every Mountain for which Graham rightly received a long a muse, a symbol of beauty and musical inspiration.” The
work. Company favorite, Michael Chioldi returns as Sir standing ovation. last movement is full of merriment using folk dances and
John Falstaff. Antonelllo Allemandi conducts. Event is at Intermission over, the large audience stayed for repetitive note codes spelling his own name about 14
the Kravis Center. Call the box office at (561) 833-7888. Dimitri Shostakovich’s (1906 to 1975), 10th Symphony times throughout the orchestral sections. It has a sunny
Don’t miss it. written in 1953. The composer and then leader of Soviet conclusion – and was met by thunderous applause and a
Palm Beach Symphony Russia, Marshall Joseph Stalin, had their differences, standing ovation. Their next concert is on March 14 with
Also appearing at The Kravis Center on Tuesday March going back to 1936 when Stalin wrote a denunciation of Misha Dichter playing Gershwin’s only Piano Concerto.
14 at 8 p.m., conducted by Maestro Gerard Schwarz, the Lady Macbeth of Minsk, Shostakovitch’s most successful Stravinsky’s Firebird suite ends the program. You can
orchestra opens with Sojourn: Reflections on Thoreau opera with 180 performances, in the newspaper, Pravda; contact the box office at (561) 281-0145.
commissioned by the symphony. The composer, Joseph Stalin was exercising cultural control over him. The
Schwanter, 1943, from Keene, N.H., writes, “It is a composer retreated to the shadows writing only small
musical journey inspired by the words of Henry David chamber works. Reinstated in 1940, given honors galore,
Thoreau, who said, ‘Music is the sound of the circulation he was again censured with Prokofiev this time in 1948
in nature’s veins.’” Next, noted pianist Misha Dichter by Stalin for “formalistic perversions and anti-democratic
plays George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, a serious tendancies!” But Shostakovich had the last laugh. At the
work, commissioned by Walter Damrosch, conductor of
the New York Symphony in 1925. He had heard Rhapsody “Service is our number one priority”
in Blue and knew of Gershwin’s desire to be accepted as
a classical composer. Webern’s Adagio follows, arranged 561-743-0070
by Maestro Schwarz. Stravinsky’s exciting The Firebird
ballet suite ends the program. Call (561) 281-0145. www.palmspoolservices.com
Flagler Museum Music Series
Attracting only the highest quality chamber groups,
these concerts are regularly featured on National Public
Radio’s Performance Today. The fifth and last concert of
the series is on Tuesday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. featuring
the Neave Trio: Anna Williams, violin; Mikhail Veselov,
cello; and Eri Nakamura, piano. Often compared to the
late Beaux Arts Trio, a Boston music critic said of them,
“Their unanimity of style, communication, variety of touch
and expressive sensibility are of the first rank.” Meet the
musicians after the concert during a champagne and dessert
reception. For tickets please call (561) 655-2833.
Kravis Center
Famous for the excellent Broadway shows they present,
you can see the new Pretty Woman based on the Richard Expires 4/15/23.
Geer, Julia Roberts movie of the same name from March
7 to 12. The New World Symphony appears on Monday, State Licensed & Insured
March 13 at 8 p.m. An African American Film Festival Serving Palm Beach County CPC # 1457468 • LPG#30099
begins on March 16 in the Rinker Playhouse. Comedian
Jerry Seinfeld appears on March 18 at 7 p.m. and 9:30
p.m. The Zurich, Switzerland, Chamber Music Orchestra
gives a concert on Sunday afternoon, March 19, at 2 p.m.
as part of Kravis Center’s Classical Concert Series.
And the musical Wicked as part of their Kravis On
Broadway series goes up on March 29 through April 9.
Ballet Palm Beach presents A Midsummer Night’s Dream
from March 31 to April 2.
For tickets call (800) 572-8471.

Rex’s Review

Palm Beach Symphony: A Splendid Mix
By Rex Hearn
The Jan. 30 concert at the Kravis Center harkened
back to Victorian times when orchestras threw together
soloists, popular songs and heavy and light music pieces.
It was a night when Palm Beach Symphony showed their
versatility, brilliantly accompanying the great mezzo,
Susan Graham, playing a Debussy work with sensitivity
and refinement, and delivering a heavy Russian work
with conviction. Under the baton of Gerard Schwarz they
have become a great orchestra comparable to the London
Philharmonic, across the pond, whose new dominance of
that city’s 10 professional orchestras is due to their new
Music Director Edward Gardner – a comparison that is
not lightly made.
What is the key to this glorious sound? It is in a
word – refinement. Professional musicians at this level
need only two or three rehearsals to be up to speed, but
it is the conductor’s vision and direction that gives them
polish, distinction and beautiful playing. They respond to
Maestro Schwarz enthusiastically and the two are as one.
His leadership is inspiring.
After the lively Marriage of Figaro overture of Mozart,
singer, Susan Graham, began with the two popular
mezzo arias from that same opera and a serious piece