Review by Kamara Hennessey
The Ontario Arts Review
Born in Toronto; 27-year-old ‘new kid on the block’ Canadian composer Jordan Pal’s “On the Double: Concert Overture for Orchestra” is up first on yesterday evening’s Brott Summer Music Festival’s Rocky 3 Meets Tchaikovsky concert program. In the program notes, the composer himself describes his work as “a fast and furious adrenaline-pumping roller coaster of an overture...” Need I say more? However, at the end of NAO’s relatively ‘stable’ performance guided by apprentice conductor, Samuel Tam’s baton; staying on track, I am still trying to peg this composition’s genre. In this 21st C. can it be defined as “neo ‘neo Classical’ / neo ‘neo Romantic’ / neo ‘neo Impressionist’ / neo ‘neo early 20th C’- ‘Avant Garde’? Perhaps it’s ‘Neo all of the above’ But, I must admit it was a very interesting piece. Like most modern compositions this composition will take some getting used to as it grows on one’s aesthetic sensibilities.
Featured attraction / headliner Alexei Gulenco, pianist, submerges into an alter ego’s stage presence to his Russian counterpart- Sergei Rachmaninoff. Quite robust in stature; and guessing that Gulenco is close to 6’ 4” in height, he strides on stage with a very upright military carriage that’s emphasized by his all black attire. With his entrance on stage, I can’t help thinking that two ‘Giants” are about to meld into Russian Romanticism in all its glory. In all of Rachmaninoff’s piano concerto repertoire, his Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor, op 30 is reputed to be one of his most difficult concertos for a pianist; especially in the Finale movement! Both Gulenco, and NAO - conducted by Maestro Brott - came through their collaborative performances of each movement – [Allegro ma non tanto; Intermezzo; Finale] - with equal mastery. The highly romantic expressionism is exposed through all its dynamic shadings of the composer’s lush harmonies; often excitable rhythms; rippling and soaring lyrical melodies. With some time to spare before intermission, Gulenco returned to feed the audience thirst for more with an encore number Moments Musicaux (3) Op. 16 by none other than “Rocky” himself. However, it showed another side of the composer as having created a work, to my ear, that had an overall ‘religious’ pace in tempo as well as revealed a somewhat meditative quality in the chordal harmonic progressions.
The 2nd half of the concert program is devoted entirely to Tchaikovsky’s lengthy Fifth Symphony in E minor, op. 64. The stage was shared by Genevieve Leclair, who conducts M1: Andante - Allegro con anima and M2: Andante Cantabile, con alcuna licenza. Maestro Brott conducted M3: Valse; Allegro moderato and M4: Finale: Andante maestoso - Allegro vivace. Both conductors and NAO gave it their all to release this powerhouse of Russian Romantic expressionism. Since this particular symphonic work by Tchaikovsky has now become a much performed and loved standard, it is considered a gem that sparkles with timeless beauty. The opening melody in the Andante cantabile that is expressed out by solo French horn and reiterated by solo oboe and clarinet is so hauntingly beautiful. The NAO performers on the above instruments conveyed it as such. The orchestra presented a very expressive performance that showcased Romanticism at its best throughout the entire concert, thereby showing that oftimes- “the whole is greater than just the sum of its parts”.