Monterey Symphony Triumphs!
by
Lyn Bronson
Dubravka Tomsic
& Max Bragado Darman
[This review will appear in the Salinas Californian on Monday
October 15]
It was a glorious evening for the Monterey
Symphony last night. The opening concert of the season at Sherwood Hall in
Salinas was a winner all the way around the block —a triumphant pianist,
Dubravka Tomsic, returning as soloist for the sixth time, a contemporary work by
composer Gordon Getty, and a “knock-em-dead” performance of Shostakovich’s Fifth
Symphony. What more could you ask for?
Pianist Tomsic, looking resplendent and colorful
on stage, blazed her way through Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor
with impressive confidence and beguiling charm. She treated us to an elegant
performance that was as full of subtle color and shading as it was of effortless
virtuosity. The beautifully shaped melodies in the first and second movements
were totally beguiling, and her fleet performance of the Vivace finale was
astonishing for its superlative mastery. The cumulative effect was
extraordinary.
The evening’s concert began with Gordon Getty’s
Overture from his opera “Plump Jack.” This work hints at the mischievous pranks
and humor of the character of Falstaff as created by Shakespeare in Henry IV.
This overture is a well-crafted work that made a pleasing effect with its fine
orchestration and complex musical ideas. The composer was in the audience and
received accolades from the orchestra and the audience.
After intermission Maestro Max Bragado Darman
gave us yet another demonstration (as though we needed it) of how really fine
the Monterey Symphony Orchestra can sound. We heard a performance of
Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony that was glorious in its sound and profound in its
musical meaning. The orchestral playing on this occasion was superb with
excellent individual solos, fine ensemble and lots of charisma from the way all
the individual parts came together to produce such a meaningful and moving
performance.
Maestro Bragado Darman continues to impress us
with his ability to bring fine musicians together in the common goal of making
superb music. He has been succeeding admirably!
Lyn Bronson, a
resident of Carmel, is a pianist and a faculty member of the Music & Performing
Arts Department at California State University Monterey Bay.
