Friday, February 11, 2000
CSO youngsters shine
Concertmaster makes his solo debut
BY JANELLE GELFAND
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Two of the younger members of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra took center stage at Music Hall Thursday night.
Violinist Timothy Lees, 30, who was appointed concertmaster in 1998, made his concerto debut in Erich Korngold's Violin Concerto in D Major, while John Morris Russell, the CSO's associate conductor, took a turn on the podium.
If the Korngold concerto sounded like movie music, that's because, well, it is. Mr. Korngold is best known for his Hollywood film scores of the 1930s and '40s, and his concerto borrows liberally from his movie themes.
Although it's kitschy, the concerto has been championed by Jascha Heifetz, Itzhak Perlman, and Gil Shaham, who played it at Riverbend in 1995.
Because of his fine work in the first chair of the orchestra, it was no surprise that Mr. Lees would project a beautiful, sweet timbre and a seamless line. His use of vibrato and the occasional slide gave the music an old-fashioned, romantic cast.
His phrasing had moments of great beauty, particularly in the beguiling second movement, and he communicated personality and involvement.
Had he not used the music, he might have had more fun with the piece, however. Still, the bravura passages in the finale sparkled, and Mr. Lees tackled its technical difficulties with ease, earning bravos from 1,618 listeners.
Mr. Russell collaborated well with his soloist, although the orchestra overpowered in forte passages.
Familiar to many concertgoers through his educational concerts, New Year's Eve program and many other duties, Mr. Russell is a confident figure on the podium. His beat is clear, even though he prefers conducting without a baton. His program, which included works by American composer Charles Griffes and Cesar Franck, reflected his eclectic, sometimes quirky taste.
He opened with Mr. Griffes' tone poem, The Pleasure-Dome of Kubla Khan. The work, after a poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, draws from Mr. Griffes' impressionistic and Asian periods, with splashy orchestral colors reminiscent of Respighi.
Mr. Russell kept the momentum up, and high points included some fine orchestral solos in the winds.
The evening concluded with an energized performance of Franck's Symphony in D Minor. Mr. Russell's broad gestures reflected the weighty, vividly dramatic performance he drew from the players.
Although I wished for more lightness and detail at times, there was something compelling about the great, organ-like brass chorales and the sweep of the strings.
The second movement was memorable for beautifully-phrased solos by English hornist Robert Walters and principal French hornist Robin Graham.
Before the concert, trustee Spencer Liles and CSO violinist Darla Bertolone recognized the 2,200 subscribers who have been loyal for 25 and 50 years. This is the orchestra's second annual subscriber recognition month.
The CSO repeats at 8 p.m. Saturday in Music Hall. Tickets: 381-3300.
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