From Deseret News archives:
Violinist, symphony serenade audience
The Utah Symphony presented a program this weekend that featured everything from A to B (Adams, a living composer, to Bernstein to Brahms) and welcomed guest violinist Robert McDuffie.
The program began with Adams' "Lollapalooza," a piece described by the composer as a "dancing behemoth." Indeed, the rhythmic, rollicking, joyfully raucous piece was given a befittingly energetic performance by the orchestra, under the baton of Keith Lockhart. Adding almost a caricatured element to the evening, this spirited piece set a lively tone for what was to follow.
The orchestra then welcomed McDuffie in a performance of Bernstein's "Serenade." With an expressiveness that reached beyond the music itself, McDuffie proved himself a master communicator by conveying ideas and character behind the music.
He skillfully used a wide variety of character in his tone — for example, juxtaposing a bright, silken sound with a darker, more textured timbre to illustrate a change of mood and thought. While McDuffie's performance was excellent throughout, the fourth movement, "Agathon," particularly gave him a chance to shine in a lyrical high point of the work.
McDuffie also added to the performance with his knowledgable explanation and introduction of the piece preceding their performance. Telling personal anecdotes with the composer (Bernstein) and making the audience musically aware of what to listen for in the piece must have enhanced the experience for many listeners.
The second half, featuring Brahms' Symphony No. 1, proved to be a good foil for the first half. While the entire program was generally robust, the Brahms gave the audience something a little more accessible and familiar. This is a piece with a lot of substance to it. Lockhart led the symphony in a solid performance of the Brahms, bringing out rich fullness of Brahms' writing without losing the subtitles in the grandness of it all.
E-mail: rcline@desnews.com
