Saturday, April 08, 2000
Passionate conductor inspires CSO players
BY JANELLE GELFAND
The Cincinnati Enquirer
It's easy to see why Alessandro Siciliani is causing a sensation in Columbus.
In his Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra debut on Friday, Mr. Siciliani delivered the most hot-blooded performance on the podium this season, resulting in one of the year's best concerts.
The only puzzle after the CSO's extraordinary performance of Mahler's First — and the five-minute cheering ovation that followed — was why this Italian-born maestro has not been snatched off his Columbus Symphony Orchestra podium and handed a major orchestra. An orchestra builder, he is mainly responsible for the turnaround of the long-troubled orchestra, which he has led since 1992.
From the first note of Glinka's Overture to Ruslan and Ludmila, it was clear this was going to be something special. With a background steeped in opera — his father Francesco Siciliani headed La Scala for 20 years — every note seemed to sing. He is a passionate conductor who crouches, leaps, and tosses his mane of black hair, yet his movements create musical drama.
The orchestra sat up and responded with superb playing. Even though Mahler's Symphony No. 1 was played four years ago, it was fresh, spontaneous and magical. The strings had a light, luminous quality, the winds were warm and expressive, and the brass fanfares were supercharged, despite a few bobbles. The detail was remarkable, as the conductor brought out each theme, always with an eye on the overall scope.
He achieved a gentle mood in the first movement, capturing the charm and sentiment of its Wunderhorn inspirations. The second movement, a landler, had a roughness that fit its rustic mood.
Mr. Siciliani balanced moments of lyricism with driving hard, conducting as if it were opera. The funeral march was wonderfully hushed; the village klezmer music rose from its texture like magic. The finale was a revelation, beginning with electrifying crashes, followed by moments of nostalgic beauty.
Another auspicious debut was made by Canadian violinist Scott St. John in Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1. Mr. St. John, 27, who is accomplished in both violin and viola, is an emerging artist with a beautiful sound, a natural technique and the ability to balance depth with bravura.
The concerto calls for a variety of technical feats — including eerie high harmonics and glissandos — all of which he had in his arsenal. Yet it was never a mere display. Mr. St. John captured its myriad of moods and vitality impressively.
With Mr. Siciliani assisting, this was a stunning match, and Music Hall's audience of 1,533 responded enthusiastically.
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