Count Basie Theater, Red Bank, NJ. Balcony (Seat F113, $30).
Yun shaking Wyrick's hand after the performance of the Chopin piano concerto.
Program
Can You See? by Allison Loggins-Hull.
Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11 by Chopin.
Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Op. 68 by Brahms.
As one might suspect, "can you see?" is related to the national anthem. The description in the Program says the anthem was deconstructed in the composition of this piece. So I was expecting to hear the music equivalent of a Picasso. Instead the piece was so deconstructed that I couldn't hear any part of the original song; well, some Picasso paintings are like that, and they leave me equally confused. Nowadays it would be difficult to guess what a composer can do with the national anthem, this piece isn't grotesque at all, so there is that.
I heard Loggins-Hull's work at a People's Symphony Concert at the end of last year. My writeup seems to indicate I enjoyed it considerable more than today's piece.
The piece was originally written in 2021 for a small ensemble. Today's was an expanded version for an orchestra. There was a passage where the violas hit the strings with a short stick; I suspect a simple "col legno" would have the same effect. Loggins-Hull is the Symphony's new Resident Artistic Partner, so more of her work will find its way to concert programs.
Yun was a recent graduate of Julliard. CS, who also attended the concert, mentioned that he had the same teacher as his daughter. (Anne and I thought he could have been her student!) The highly romantic piece is easy to like, but I don't know if one can appreciate the performance beyond the nice melodies and demanding techniques. The orchestra was unexpectedly precise, yet it sounded quite mechanical.
For encore Yun and the conductor Konig performed a Chopin's Op. 39/15 Waltz adapted for four hands. Evidently Chopin wrote the solo piece in A-flat major, while the four-hand piece is in A. So there was a bit of confusion - and a laugh - when the two began. (Google returned with an A, quite amazing.)
Many sources consider Brahms's first symphony as Beethoven's Tenth, I never understand the comparison. One would never mistake this with anything Beethoven wrote, as Brahms's approach to dynamics, melody, form, and harmony was very - shall we say - Brahmsian. I must admit Symphony No. 1 is not one of my favorite symphonies, although in my experience Brahms's music can grow on you as you get more familiar with it. The only movement I know well is the fourth, with its two well-known melodies.
After performance of "can you see?" by Loggins-Hull. I was somewhat surprised that she wasn't in the audience.
A close of of the pianist.
At the conclusion of the concert. Count Basie suffers from bad lighting. Attendance tonight was better than usual.
Having attended a New York Philharmonic concert yesterday, I must say New Jersey Symphony isn't quite there yet, at least not today. My biggest problem was how "mechanical" the ensemble sounded. CS mentioned the woodwind section was weak. That may be true, but I thought the trombones did a great job, I appreciated how precise they sounded (as opposed to my experience a day earlier with the New York Philharmonic). The violinist who subs at New York Phil quite often played today (and I didn't see him in NY yesterday). The principal bassist, however, was absent today. She was with NY Phil yesterday.
My past blog entries seem to indicate Konig was a competent conductor. If I used my adjectives consistently, things have just stayed the same.
Tonight's attendance was quite respectable, at least from what I could see from my seat in the balcony.
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