Bernstein. Copland. Galbraith. American Serenade, a musical feast of substantial American works, celebrates the sixth season of Resonance Works | Pittsburgh through masters of the past century and a world premiere by one of Pittsburgh’s own outstanding female composers.
Heard on Saturday evening, the program has a second performance only on Sun., May 12 at 3 pm in Shadyside’s Levy Hall, Rodef Shalom Congregation.
This artist-led company serves up superb talent for its finale of instrument works all written within the past 75 years. Adhering to founder and conductor’s Maria Sensi Sellner’s approach to presenting beloved or rarely performed works, her company delivers another stellar event.
For American Serenade, Sellner invited Daniel Nesta Curtis to share the podium. They take turns leading the 24-piece Resonance Chamber Orchestra numbers 24.
Newsworthy is the world premiere flute concerto written by Pittsburgh composer Nancy Galbraith with flutist Lindsey Goodman in mind. It is the seventh Galbraith work that Curtis has conducted.
Galbraith invites listeners to take a musical journey in the hands of a master. Goodman is a passionate and entertaining artist whose joyful performances engage anyone hearing new works. As always, Goodman delivers with energy and artistry, conveying her exuberance and creativity.
Galbraith provides absolutely delightful range and effects in three fresh and invigorating movements that are both distinctive and demanding. Goodman is heard solo with the jazzy opening and displays many engaging techniques in this sweet percussive first movement. In this intimate setting, it’s possible to follow her execution of some effects that may be new to audience members less familiar with what the flute can do.
The strings are vibrantly featured throughout, and the percussionists are prominent with a delightful chime-in from the bells when two players move to the balconies in the ethereal second movement. Goodman’s urgent melodic line raising questions answered by more intriguing percussive exploration in the rhythmic final movement before the audience realizes it wants more from Galbraith.
Sellner considers the brilliantly engaging works of Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland to be a “gateway to the present and future.” As the centenary of Bernstein’s birth has been celebrated this past year, she takes advantage to finally program his Serenade (after Plato’s Symposium). In her concert introducing, Sellner shared that when she had opportunity to talk with Bernstein’s daughter and recent biographer, Jamie Bernstein, that the writer said Serenade was her favorite of her father’s works.
The main course in this hearty concert, Serenade conjures the natural world and the origin of love in a masterwork inspired from Bernstein’s rereading of Plato’s Symposium.
Under Sellner’s baton, Serenade takes a half hour trek through the characters and situations of a dialogue among Plato’s characters. Bernstein said it best, describing Serenade as “the natural expression of a contemporary American composer imbued with the spirit of that timeless dinner party.”
The story is less important than what the listener hears–Bernstein’s exuberance for the orchestra. When listening to one Bernstein work or another, it’s tempting to comment on how Bernstein must adore certain instruments. In this piece, he certainly loves the violin and also the percussion, out in full force with the timpani showing up for the party with the harp and strings.
Sellner’s invitation to concertmaster Sandro Leal-Santiesteban to be soloist is kismet.
This violinist shines, displaying virtuosity from the first notes of his opening solo in the first movement. Then during four more movements his violin sings through musical storytelling, conversations with his fellow players, expressive playing, and a late musical chat with cellist Elise Feagley. The 1954 piece is indeed a love song by a genius and deserves frequent programming.
Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto featured Ryan Leonard who brings fresh virtuosity to this delightful work penned by Copland for Benny Goodman. “The King of Swing” performed the piece here with the Pittsburgh Symphony with Andre Previn in the 1980s. 
Charming and impressive for its jazz and Latin influences, the concerto is an entertaining exploration of a woodwind not often a featured solo instrument. Leonard’s performance is captivating, from the solo opening that draws the listener in close for a discovery of simple themes with accompaniment by strings, harp, and piano. Copland’s deliberate 18-minute score aimed to show off Goodman’s classical chops, but also gives a nod to his signature jazz stylings. Leonard’s shining performance under Sellner’s baton is everything fans of the clarinet and all music lovers will appreciate through the final Goodmanesque glissando.
The skaters of the 1980 Winter Olympics visually fueled Joan Tower for Petroushskates, a piece inspired by Stravinsky’s Petroushka. Five delightful minutes charmingly toy with Stravinsky themes to musically depict the movements of the skaters. Curtis conducts the quintet featuring violinist Dawn Posey (concertmaster for this concert), cellist Elise Feagley, clarinetist Rachael Stutzman Cohen, flutist Lindsey Goodman, and pianist Brian Gilling.
Gran Turismo may be known as a racing video game for some, but composer Andrew Norman claimed it as the title for his 2007 work after overhearing the game while studying Italian Baroque music. Norman draws on multiple cultural and musical influences during eight minutes that characterize speed through music.
The “drivers” are a violin octet comprised of the orchestra’s entire section: Dawn Posey, Meredith Riley, Erin David, Xiang Fang, Ashley Freeman, Jennifer Sternick, Yalyen Savignon, and Sean Elliott. They kick off the concert like a swarm of busy bees or an auto race. Irresistible for its fun urban street sounds and siren-like motifs, Norman’s piece sets the concert off and running with Curtis conducting. For Resonance Works, it says, we are the violins, but just you wait to hear much more amazing music from all of our colleagues.
In Levy Hall, the audience proximity that illuminates who an orchestra works–and how hard its players work. This concert showcased the artistry of all the chamber instrumentalists, but percussionists Abby Langhorst, David Luidens, Camillo Jauregui, and Eric Stoss deserve recognition for their energetic support through much of this complex concert. They had quite a work out! Harpist Marissa Knaub Avon is showcased, but each player is a star. It’s exciting to see soloists like Goodman slipping back in to play with her colleagues after a world premiere.
Since its founding in 2013, Sellner has shown the kind of creativity and passion that predicts a bright future for her company and the brilliant array of artists she features. Sellner announced the 2019-2120 season at Saturday’s Concert. Look for these in the seventh season running from November through May: The National Anthems, Amahl & the Night Visitors, …of dark and bright, and Verdi’s Rigoletto.
Resonance Works offers reserved seating in Levy Hall for the final American Serenade performance on Sunday at 3 pm at resworks.org/tickets, call (412) 501-3330, or buy tickets at the door. As ample parking is free and the venue intimate, music lovers will find this concert one for the books in content and convenience.
Yvonne Hudson, a Pittsburgh-based writer, publicist, actor, and singer, joined PITR as a writer and adviser in February 2016. She began performing and writing during high school in Indiana, PA. The Point Park journalism grad credits her Globe editor for first assigning her to review a play. Yvonne is grateful to Dr. Attilio Favorini for master’s studies at Pitt Theatre Arts, work at Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival, and believing in her Shakespearean journey. When not working with nonprofits, this lifelong chorister sings with Calvary UM Church’s annual Messiah choir. Having played Juliet’s Nurse for Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks, Yvonne is now seen in her solo shows, Mrs Shakespeare and Emily Dickinson: The Poet Lights the Lamp. Goals: See all of Shakespeare’s plays in production and memorize more Sonnets. Fave quotes: “Good deed in a naughty world,” “Attention must be paid,” and “A handbag?” Twitter @msshakespeare Facebook: PoetsCornerPittsburgh LinkedIn
Categories: Archived Reviews