Philharmonic fills bill with 'Hometown Virtuosi'

By Burt Saidel

The Dayton Philharmonic billed the December 1-2 concerts as “The Hometown Virtuosi.”  This was to highlight the appearance of Maestro Charles Wendelken-Wilson as guest conductor and concertmaster Lucas Alemán as violin soloist.  

The publicity was partly right. The audience was treated to stellar performances by both Maestro Charles and Lucas but there were at least 60 other “hometown virtuosi” playing great music and displaying their talents.

The Dayton Philharmonic continues to amaze those of us who hear them regularly and who attend concerts of other orchestras. It is easy to praise the entire orchestra, its enlightened programming and our magnificent Schuster concert hall.  

Maestro Charles Wendelken-Wilson’s appearance is hardly a return. He has never left Dayton since retiring from his 12 year tenure as the DPO’s music director in 1987.

Maestro Charles does so much to advance the musical life in Dayton. He has served as Music Director for the Miami Valley Symphony and Opera Funatics, taking both of those organizations to higher planes. He is the Music Director and major on-air host of Dayton Public Radio, WDPR and WDPG. Dayton Opera has called upon Maestro Charles’ wealth of opera knowledge as conductor and collaborator for many seasons. He is a treasure of musical knowledge, passionate about his art.

Concertmaster Lucas is presently on leave of absence, living for the year in Texas. He returned to Dayton with a warm winning smile and new violin which added to his considerable virtuosity.

The concert was a marvel of musical excitement. The opening work, Brahms’ Tragic Overture, is such a personal favorite.  I remember hearing it at my first concert of the Cleveland Orchestra 55 years ago. To me, it is tragic in name only.  It is a beautiful and rich musical fabric entrancing the listener. The orchestra, under Maestro Charles, filled every expectation.

Violinist Lucas chose to play the Glazunov concerto.  It is a work filled with the music of that Romantic age, well seasoned with the Russian soul.  From the opening notes, a soaring melodic solo, Lucas captured the audience and the very essence of the concerto. The orchestra responded to every nuance. The many contrasting sections flowed seamlessly from the solo violin and echoed throughout the orchestra.Greeted by a spontaneous standing ovation, Lucas knew he was in his musical home.

The concert closed with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. It is a major work which requires virtuosic musicians and a sophisticated audience. To prepare the audience, Maestros Charles and Neal Gittleman devised a “Shostakovich Saturation.”  WDPR/WDPG has played 100 works of the Russian master during his two month 100th birthday celebration of the Russian master.

The symphony calls upon every aspect of orchestral musicianship.  Shostakovich must have loved his musicians as he wrote great solos for each. Remarkable sounds emanated from the entire brass section. The difficult blending of horns with woodwinds and Concertmaster Aurelian Oprea’s delicate solos were marvels.  Harp, woodwinds, piano, celesta, flute and even piccolo were given sparkling showcase moments.  

Maestro Charles’ readings of the dramatic contrasts and dynamic ranges of the great symphony led to another spontaneous standing, and well-deserved, ovation.  Dmitri Shostakovich now has a permanent home in Dayton.  Fortunately, Charles and Lucas already know that Dayton is their home.

Human Race Theatre’s Big River

The holiday production of the Human Race Theatre Company at the Loft Theatre, refreshingly, never mentions Santa Claus, Scrooge or even has a nutcracker on stage.  Instead, they celebrate the wit and wisdom of America’s beloved author Mark Twain.  

Big River is a 1985 retelling of the Huck Finn story by author William Hauptman, with some very special twists.  By teaming with composer/lyricist Roger Miller, the play becomes a delightful musical.  

The story concentrates on Huck Finn and his relationship with the slave Jim.  The moral dilemma facing both of them is the vast gulf they perceive between themselves and all white/black relationships.  Huck deals with his guilt in abrogating the property rights of the slave owner by feeling and acting in sympathy for Jim as a human being.
The action, set on a most appealing and highly kinetic set by Dunsi Dai, moves seamlessly through each adventure.  The songs are both beautiful and compellingly meaningful.  Joe Deer’s creative and enlightened direction has its mark on each and every scene.

Huck Finn and Jim are played by Scott Hunt and Horace E. Smith III.  Hunt has had several outstanding roles with the Human Race.  He brings an innocence mixed with strength to each part.  Smith is a major talent.  His big voice matches his big body and dominant stage presence.  

The other actors play many parts still giving each character a real persona.  Scott Stoney becomes, again, a man of many faces.  Human Race veterans Kay Bosse and Katie Pees are joined by soon to become veterans Kimberly Finch, Eric Lesh, Shavey Brown, Jamie Cordes, Morgan Grahame, Ashley Hannon and Warren Freeman.  There is so much talent and this is the perfect vehicle to show it off.

Mark Chmiel and Kevin Moore nearly steal the show as Duke and King.  Don’t ask me how a Duke and a King become passengers on Huck’s raft.  See the show and you will understand and love them all!  It runs through December 23 and is a guaranteed “don’t miss.”

Oakwood student winner of Nutcracker art contest

Dayton Ballet is excited to announce Erin Donnelly, age 9 of Oakwood, is the 2nd Annual Dayton Ballet Nutcracker Art Contest Winner.  Over 150 children ages 4 to 12 entered Dayton Ballet’s Nutcracker Art Contest by submitting original artwork representing The Nutcracker theme.  All entries will be displayed at the Schuster Center during performances of Dayton Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Dec., 15-23. Winners were selected from each age group: age 4-6; Jenna Fox (6) of Bellefontaine, age 7-9; Britney Hansford (8) of Vandalia, and age 10-12; Richard Gray (12) of Dayton. Various prizes were awarded to each winner and the overall winner, Erin Donnelly will have her art reproduced on the cover of the 2006 Playbill for Dayton Ballet’s The Nutcracker and receive four complimentary tickets to any one performance. Miss Donnelly will also be performing in the ballet as a Toy Soldier on Dec. 15, 16 and 17 and a French Child on Dec. 21, 22 and 23.

Local piano trio to perform at DAI Dec. 10

Pictured left to right: Stephen Phillips, Betsey and Stephen Hofeldt.

Mark and Betsey Hofeldt, members of the Dayton Philharmonic, will be performing a concert of piano trios at the Dayton Art Institute at 2 p.m. on Dec. 10 in the Renaissance Auditorium. They will be collaborat ing with longtime friend and colleague Stephen Phillips in this concert, which is part of the Afternoon Musicales series at DAI.

The trio was first formed when Betsey and Stephen met while pursuing graduate work in performance at the Cincinnati Conservatory. After 12 years the trio has now built up a repertoire of chamber works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Dvorak, Ravel, Bartok, Martinu and Shostakovich.

The Dec. 10 program will open with Haydn’s Trio in C Major and conclude with the romantic masterpiece, the Tchaikovsky Piano Trio. Admission is free.

Holiday kiln firing completed

Miami Valley Pottery is one of two wood-fired kilns in Ohio. Built by by Naysan McIlhargey, his wife Jalana Lazar and his stepfather David Mader, this huge kiln and shop is located at 145 E. Hyde Rd. in Yellow Springs.

Woodfire kilns produce a distinct type of pottery. The fire and ash and temperature variations inside a wood kiln produce beautiful surfaces on both glazed and unglazed pots. Their kiln is approximately 400 cubic feet, and takes several months of throwing to fill it. They fire the kiln only three to four times a year - a typical firing lasts three to four days, requiring constant attention to the stoking of the flame.

Don’t miss seeing the beautiful large pots that they’ve created this firing. They are open this week 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call for appointment at 767-7517 or at website www.mvpottery.com.

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December 5, 2006
Volume 15, No. 49

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