Two Dayton Philharmonic concerts in five days. It doesn’t get much better than that. Well, perhaps it does when the second concert is a recital with full orchestra by soprano superstar Renée Fleming. And, when the second concert is on my 75th birthday. There is no question that the summum bonum has been attained.
The first evening was the regular Classical Concert featuring guest conductor Ludovic Morlot and cellist Julie Albers. Billed as “The Heart of Europe,” Maestro Neal Gittleman had programmed works by Bohemian masters Bedfiich Smetana, Bohuslav MartinÛ and Antonin Dvofiák.
The concert opened with the popular The Moldau by Smetana. Based on Czech folk songs, the work contains some of the most appealing melodic lines and orchestral contrasts. The orchestra, under the baton of French-born Morlot, responded to all of the demands of the music with an easy élan. The shimmering flutes, joyous melodies and many endings were delightful and a great concert opener.
Less familiar was the Dayton premiere of MartinÛ’s Symphony No. 5. Written in 1946, the work moves easily from the great Romantic tradition into the atonalities of the modern genre.
The interesting chords and contrasting tonalities made a perfect match for the orchestra, the great acoustics of the Schuster Center and the conducting style of Morlot.
After intermission, rising cello star Julie Albers joined the orchestra for the Dvofiák Cello Concerto. This concerto is the cornerstone of the cello literature. Its popularity is well deserved having rich melodies and brilliant solo opportunities.
Somehow, the magic never occurred. Miss Albers, young, beautiful and very talented, was overridden by the exaggerated dynamics of the orchestra. The acoustics of the Schuster are a two-edged sword. The remarkable acuity enhances the beauty of great sound. The same acuity of the hall emphasizes every error.
Somehow, Maestro Morlot did not attain the dynamic balance to allow the greatness of the music to radiate. There were brilliant solo passages but, at times, the cello was nearly drowned in a sea of overbearing sound.
If there was a modicum of disappointment in the February Classic Concert, the anticipation of hearing Renée Fleming erased it from consciousness. Miss Fleming is one of the great voices of our era. She has a soprano sound which defies description.
Vocal power and purity of tone sit easily in her fac. Equally at home with art songs and dramatic operatic literature, Miss Fleming is like the triple threat football star. Give her a role or a piece of music and she will perform it with joyous strength and crystalline beauty.
The concert was a celebration of great music made special by Miss Fleming’s voice, our magnificent hall and the Dayton Philharmonic’s incredible rise to excellence under Maestro Neal. Concentrating on the works of Richard Strauss, the first half of the concert became a magic carpet of transporting music and penetrating emotion.
To prepare the audience for the key work of the evening, Strauss’ Four Last Songs, Maestro Neal selected Strauss’ Don Juan Overture to begin the concert.
There is a special sound that is pure Strauss. Complex in its tonal simplicity there are internal themes and rhythms radiating a special richness. Crescendos must grow and suddenly diminish. Power must yield to delicacy. All was there in exciting and soul-satisfying abundance.
The Four Last Songs were products of the end of Strauss’ life. Written in 1948, they represent an apex of the composer’s art. Set to poems by Hermann Hesse and Joseph von Eichendorff, they apply the magic of music and the nobility of the human voice to great literature.
I have lived with these poems for half a century. When I discovered the music of Strauss, Schubert, Wolfe and Mahler enhancing my beloved poems, it was a revelation.
I have heard Miss Fleming sing in opera and was always pleased. Her many television appearances often feature the Four Last Songs. Rarely can television, and even recordings, do justice to a voice such as Renée Fleming’s. Live, she captivates and transports.
The great German poets steep every word in meaning. Set to music, an art song, gives you one chance for understanding. There are no repeated passages or flourishes. The line must be unbroken, clear and full of lucid beauty. Every syllable, every vowel, must distribute its effect and its meaning.
With Renée Fleming, the Philharmonic and the acoustical magic of the Schuster, all dreams were realized. This was a concert never to be forgotten.
After intermission, Italian opera was featured. The orchestra played a Verdi Overture and one of Puccini’s few orchestral works, The Chrysanthemums. Miss Fleming then added drama to her vocal presence by performing tragic arias from Puccini’s Suor Angelica and Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur.
Again, all musical dreams were realized. The audience, and the musicians, were enthralled by the magic. Several encores followed as well as charming comments by Miss Fleming. From the stage, she praised the hall, the orchestra and the audience. Instead of giving her the key to the city, she gave us the key to great art.
And, by the way, Renée Fleming is a stunning beauty. She could be a fashion model or an actress. Let us hope that she remains one of the great voices of our time and returns to Dayton again.
I must add a note about birthday celebrations. My 75th celebration was marked by a tribute from my publisher Do Winkler Wagner and my editor Lance Winkler. It surpassed anything I ever anticipated or deserved. The Oakwood Register did a job to make my 75th a joy and a landmark. My heartfelt gratitude to Do, Lance and all of my friends who made such glowing comments to mark this passage.
Oakwood resident Alan Halpern will perform in concert at the Dayton Art Institute’s Afternoon Musicales on Sunday, March 5, 2006. Halpern, a baritone, will present Robert Schumann’s Dichterliebe as the first half of the program. He will be joined during the second half of the program by mezzo soprano Joelle Brandon and other vocalists for a variety of arias and duets, and will be accompanied throughout the program by pianist Bryon Dobbs. Dichterliebe is a series of 16 short songs that tell the story of a poet’s unrequited love.
Halpern has been Executive Director and Cantorial Soloist at Temple Israel since 2003. He studied voice as an undergraduate at Yale University, and has continued his studies with Jerry Kopmar, Cantor Emeritus at Beth Abraham Synagogue, for the past two years. Halpern lives in Oakwood with his wife, Julie, and their two sons.
The concert will be held at 2:00 p.m. in the NCR Renaissance Auditorium at the Dayton Art Institute. Admission is free, although DAI appreciates donations.
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