Concert 1: Kansas City Symphony, November 29, 2008
The Kansas City Symphony, conducted by Juanjo Mena, dedicated an evening on November 29, 2008 to a combined Russian-Spanish program. Mena, the guest conductor was clearly instrumental in selecting the program, which opened with the Arriega Overture to "Los Esclavos Felices." In the first half of the program, South African pianist Anton Nel played the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto Number 2 in a style that was cool but not excessively romantic. Nel provided a brief encore with the Scribin Etude for the Left Hand.
The more appealing part of the program consisted of Bizet's Carmen Suite Number 1 and two suites from De Falla's "El Sombrero de Tres Picos" ballet. These pieces were played by the orchestra with confidence and enthusiasm. This suggested that they were enjoying the music as much as the audience. Kenneth Lawrence, the Symphony's first English Horn, had an excellent solo in the Miller's Dance of the De Falla Suite. Overall, this was an interesting performance and Mena conducted in a fluid manner that elicited a well-balanced performance from the orchestra. The Spanish pieces were more vibrant than the Russian work, but the entire evening was pleasurable and conveyed a generally upbeat mood. The audience response was enthusiastic.
Concert 2: Kansas City Symphony, October 17, 2008
This concert was held on a Friday evening with music director Michael Stern conducting an assortment of early twentieth century pieces. One of the key performances was provided by Daniel Muller-Schott, a cellist, who performed the Elgar Cello Concerto (1920) and was filled with intimations of angst, depression, and pathos. The Lyric Theater, where the performance was held, has questionable acoustics, yet Stern and the orchestra were able to balance the cello effectively. Another important piece was Benjamin Britten's "Sinfonia Da Requiem." This three-movement piece was ...