Review: Sarasota Orchestra's 'New World' a sumptuous feast
If we counted the caloric intake of concerts, the Sarasota Orchestra’s “New World” Masterworks concert would have been off the charts with its program of sumptuous melody and colors across the board. Guest conductor Thomas Wilkins provided a measure of elegance with a spare, direct style in service to this music.
Toccata for Orchestra by James Beckel placed the many colors and capabilities of the orchestra in the spotlight in a glittering showpiece. Points of sound sparkled across the stage driven by syncopated rhythms in melodic fragments and the well-placed use of percussion and bright colors of piano, piccolo, and upper brass. Beckel, a long-time principal trombonist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, knows well how to use the orchestra to full effect. Nearly every principal player had a solo voice, and each was woven neatly into the whole, speaking to the mastery of the musicians and Wilkins in this engaging score new to nearly all.
Simone Porter, a violinist of considerable skill and renown, spun gold from the rich melodic material in Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto, Op. 14. Before we reached the breath-taking wild ride of the perpetual motion presto, which dared everyone on stage to get through without dropping a note, we melted into a nostalgic reverie buoyed by tender phrases and a pillow of the well-blended Sarasota Orchestra strings.
Barber uses the softer pastel colors of the string and woodwind palettes to great effect. The second movement is musical poetry introduced by solo oboe with billowy strings and forays by solo clarinet and horn as well. Porter transported us with the violin’s heartbreaking tenderness to passionate throes of longing and loss. Conductor and orchestra partnered seamlessly with Porter’s sensitive phrasing.
In contrast, the manic last movement sent hearts racing with a sugar rush of rapid notes that swept us along in its torrent. There wasn’t a second of hesitation before the crowd leaped to its feet with admiration.
Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Op. 95 “New World” is one of the most beloved symphonies of all time, and for good reason. It is rich with those gorgeous melodies that sprang from this composer’s imagination and fused with his impressions of our unique American voice.
Wilkins gave the orchestra free rein to display what it does best. Most people know this score well, but the light touches of strings and interplay of solo woodwinds could still touch the heart, particularly the unforgettable English horn solo of the Largo. Then there was the full-bodied thrill of that horn section and the ever-impressive brass section as a whole.
Every detail in this performance was something to savor and enjoy. If ever there was a reason to indulge, it would be in this festival of melodies and delightful, good-hearted music.
Masterworks: New World
Sarasota Orchestra. Sunday, March 13, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets $35-$98. 941-953-3434; sarasotaorchestra.org.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Review: Sarasota Orchestra's 'New World' a sumptuous feast
