One of the things I really miss is concerts. Oh, I go to the Fairbanks Symphony concerts when I can, but I can’t drive in the dark (which is most of the day here in winter) and their concerts are all in the winter. So when the Opera Fairbanks orchestra offered a free concert last Thursday, I jumped at the chance to go at a time of year when I can drive. Especially since they were performing a piece by one of my favorite composers, the Mahler Symphony number 4.
I am not a music critic, and do not pretend to be. I did at one time play the trombone in youth symphonies, though I didn’t have the time once I was in college. Because of this, I was particularly interested to see that the program included a trombone concerto, a relative rarity. The remainder was Mozart, the overture from The Abduction from the Seraglio, and J. S. Bach’s Fantasia and Fugue in C Minor.
Having played the trombone, I have to say I was a little disappointed in the Concert in e flat for Trombone and Orchestra, by Ferdinand David. Not that I could have played it; Mr. Becigo is a far better trombone player than I ever was. But knowing the instrument, I was considerably more critical of tone and intonation than most, and I have to say that his tone was not as good as it could have been. That said, it was nevertheless a good performance of a difficult piece.
The Mozart and Bach pieces were well played, and I thoroughly enjoyed them. But the piece de resistance was the Mahler.
It’s a long piece, around an hour, with a beautiful soprano solo in the fourth movement. Jamie-Rose Guarrine sang the solo, and – well, I can’t say the solo alone was worth the price of admission, since the concert was free. But it would have been worth the price of admission to a normal symphony concert, and then some.
Opera Fairbanks is putting on La Boheme next Thursday, and I am certainly planning to go. I trust they’ll forgive me for scanning their advertising posters! The Run of the Valkyries, a fund-raiser for Opera Fairbanks, I’ll have to skip.
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Nothing compares to the feeling of going to a live concert. Music holds a certain, elemental power over me. I can’t wait until my local symphony starts up its new season.
Seriously? His tone was not as good as you thought it should be? Ever heard a professional trombone player before? He has one of the best trombone sounds of most of the trombone players I know-myself having played a brass instrument professionally for over 25 years. I have played long running Broadway shows to top rated orchestras across the states. Pardon me but you are hardly qualified to comment on tone quality. The actual conductor, Greg Buchalter, commented on how he had never heard such a beautifully lyrical sound as Dr. Bicigo’s. Wow.
As I said, I’m no expert, though I was taught by one (member of the Wichita Symphony Orchestra) years ago. But that’s what I felt while he was playing. Not that he didn’t do a lot better than I ever could; just that I thought it could have been better.