Blossom
Music Center
July
21
An impressive Blossom debut for Laquita Mitchell. |
America,
she is beautiful. And shamelessly so in the Sunday night program at
Blossom, which lacked only fireworks to cap a celebration of native
music ranging from traditional spirituals to a contemporary film
score, spiced with tasty samplings of Porgy and Bess. Even
with a Spanish concerto in the mix, it was an evening of lʼamour
with Lady Liberty.
Opening
pieces don’t get much bigger than John Williams’ Liberty
Fanfare, written for the Statue of Liberty centenary celebration
in 1986. That’s bigger as in expansive, with conductor James
Feddeck striking a triumphant tone from the first blast of brass,
then rolling out the rest of the fanfare in grand proportions. The
only problem with starting out at maximum intensity is that there’s
nowhere left to go, at least in terms of volume. But powerful
internal dynamics gave the piece a satisfying sweep.
Three
brief selections from Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln were enough
to reaffirm Williams’ mastery of the soundtrack trade. Even
separated from its subject matter, the music was heartwarming and
unmistakably American in its optimism and vivacity. One could almost
bask in the glow of grass-roots democracy, especially in the
Coplandesque middle section, with its barn dance-style fiddle. A
sentimental close with top strings swelling and low strings
descending suggested deeper layers of meaning (and the tragedy to
come), though drew only tepid applause.
A composer with flair. |
Óscar
Navarro’s Il Concerto was a
pleasant surprise. The composer, who was present for the performance,
does a lot of film scores, an influence evident in the many quick
changes of mood, color and tempo in this one-movement work. He was
lucky to have an outstanding soloist – Cleveland Orchestra
principal clarinetist Franklin Cohen, who gave the lead instrument a
strong, persuasive voice, segueing seamlessly from smoky, sinuous
legato lines to fast-clipped runs. Feddeck took advantage of
percussive elements like hand-clapping to give the orchestral backing
an entertaining snap. A brisk, jazzy finish drew enthusiastic
applause – less a reflection of the piece, perhaps, than a good
showing by the Franklin Cohen fan club.
The
second half opened with three spirituals arranged for a capella
voices by the late Moses Hogan, an Oberlin College alum. Employing a
lot of body English, Feddeck led the Blossom Festival Chorus through
a crisp, energetic performance, adding colorful flourishes that only
a high-caliber chorus can produce. The sound was magnificent. And it
had absolutely no soul, which was hardly surprising. There is no way
a 110-person, classically trained chorus is going to emulate a gospel
choir. No matter how good the singing and conducting, they’re going
to sound more like Beethoven than the Blind Boys of Alabama.
But
the spirituals were a good warm-up for a generous selection of songs
from Porgy and Bess.
Gershwin’s music never fails to dazzle, especially with strong
singers bringing it to life. Soprano Laquita Mitchell had star
billing in the dual role of Carla and Bess, which allowed her to open
with a tender “Summertime” and emote through favorites like
“Promised Land” and “Bess, You Is My Woman Now.” Mitchell’s
naturally high voice was beautifully rounded and impressively strong,
at times rising over both the baritone and the orchestra. One wonders
what she could do with Wagner.
A convincing Porgy. |
Baritone
Eric Greene has a swagger and tone commensurate with his large
stature, and a voice with a wonderful, dark-hued timbre. His diction
suffered a bit in spots, but otherwise his singing packed a punch,
particularly as he ran away with “I Got Plenty o’ Nothin’.”
Tenor Rodrick Dixon had only two brief moments in the spotlight but
made the most of them, mugging his way through “It Ain’t
Necessarily So” and “There’s a Boat Leaving Soon.” The latter
gave him a chance to stretch his voice to serious operatic heights.
Feddeck
provided an extraordinarily lush background for the singers, at times
almost too detailed for the setting. But he kept a lively momentum
going and finished on a rambunctious roll that carried over to the
encore, “America the Beautiful.” All that was missing were
fireworks. But they would have been redundant in the tidal wave of
sound roaring from the stage, providing a spectacular finish to a
gloriously overwrought evening.
For
more on Óscar
Navarro: http://onavarro.com/
For
more on Laquita Mitchell:
http://www.uzanartists.com/?post_type=portfolio&p=906
For
more on Eric Greene:
http://www.uzanartists.com/?post_type=portfolio&p=1054
For
more on Rodrick Dixon: http://www.tenorroddixon.com/
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