Jose Ruiz, Enjoy!
GLENDALE -- It is inevitable to remove the events of the past two
weeks from our lives. That doesn't mean that we succumb to them. Every
American has found a way to cope, to mourn, to honor and to move on, and
in a way, the "Symphony from the New World" by Antonin Dvorak exemplifies
all of the above.
Maestro Sidney Weiss, music director and conductor for the Glendale
Symphony Orchestra, had announced this piece long ago as the season
opener at the legendary Alex Theatre. He had not counted on the meaning
it would carry at this time.
If ever a piece of music speaks of America and its hopes, it is this
magnificent work that illustrates many of the emotions that are being
felt today. If ever an orchestra captured those emotions, it was the
Glendale on opening night.
From the first movement, which suggests the theme with horns and
strings, to the building of the second theme filled with echoes of native
American spirituals, there was a feeling of excitement in the music.
The anticipation built as the woodwinds sang their melody while the
strings methodically surged onward. Then when the maestro brought his
baton down, the timpani, the horns, the strings, all exploded in a
celebration that spoke of the new world that America will build.
The rapid-fire violins personified the people moving quickly to
complete their task. The dynamic brass with their fortissimos echoed the
industrial giants that will help in the rebuilding and the warm richness
of the cellos and basses were the anchor and stability that assures
success.
The orchestra did not perform a work that was more than 100 years old.
It played a symphony of a triumphant future that lies ahead in the new
world.
The concert opened with an unscheduled Bach piece, "Air in G," and
quickly followed by the short but lively Prelude to Act 1 from "La
Traviata" by Verdi.
Mendelssohn was well served in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which the
orchestra performed convincingly.
As has become the custom, every concert features a solo performance
and Marina Manukian, violinist extraordinaire, gave a wonderful rendition
of Saint-Saenz "Introduction" and "Rondo Capriccioso."
Her virtuosity is exceeded only by her calmness and confidence,
working through the intricacies with masterful grace and strength.
Opening night always carries a certain amount of glamour and
excitement. The Glendale Symphony Orchestra provided that and much more
as it starts a new season, in what will surely be a whole new world.
