Tonight’s performance by the strings of the Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic was both ravishing in its overall beauty and colorful in its range of emotion. After an exquisitely ephemeral ‘Serenade for String Orchestra’ by Edward Elgar, which was akin to a delicious sigh after a satisfying meal, concertmaster, Erica Kiesewetter delighted the gathering at the Kirby Center with Astor Piazzolla’s ‘Four Seasons of Buenos Aires.’ Performed by Ms. Kiesewetter and the string orchestra in reverse order from Spring to Winter to Fall and finally to Summer, phrases from Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’ were worked into the piece. Standing tall and statuesque in a lovely black dress, Ms. Kiesewetter played her violin with grit, gravitas, and grace not to mention panache and aplomb. Jeremy Lamb on cello also performed brilliantly even as Kiesewetter dazzled everyone with her coiled notes, pizzicato, glissandos, and trills. After a snappy and melodic Spring, a warm and passionate Winter, and a robust and lively Fall, the tango-inspired piece concluded with a dramatic and dissonant Summer. As if the first half of the program were not glamorous enough, the evening continued after a brief intermission with a Copland-like ‘Amazing Grace’ by Jennifer Higdon and a stirring and passionate ‘Serenade for Strings’ by Tchaikovsky. The Philharmonic’s string orchestra pulled out all the stops just like Tchaikovsky, performing powerful dirges, bright capriccios, strolling waltzes, driving bourees, even elements of tarantella and mazurkas in the four-movement master work. Conductor Lawrence Loh’s gracefully animated direction to the strings brought out an intensity of performance that witnessed unparalleled control and glitzy execution of the musical notes.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 05:27:28 +0000
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