SYMPHONY SHINES IN SEASON DEBUT
By Walt Amacker – times-dispatch staff writer golden.

Richmond Times Dispatch, VA
Saturday, Sep 15, 2007 – 12:08 AM Updated: 12:30 AM

Trio of 20th-century and Romantic pieces keeps crowd happy

That best describes the Richmond Symphony’s performance last night
at Second Baptist Church, the first concert of its 50th anniversary
season.

The three works through which maestro Mark Russell Smith guided the
musicians did not delve into a mixture of musical periods separated by
numerous centuries. Rather, he brought together a mostly ear-pleasing
selection of late Romantic and 20th-century works that left the crowd
wanting more.

David Bilger, principal trumpet of the Philadelphia Orchestra for 12
years, was brilliant in his interpretation of Alexander Arutunian’s
"Concerto for Trumpet." For anyone who has attempted to play the
trumpet, this is a humbling piece that could make a trumpeter give
up the instrument.

It is "modern" music at its best. That means listenable. A big
stewpot of modern blended with just the right classical and Romantic
spices. And with the first trumpet from one of the best — if not
the best — orchestras in the world, one would expect nothing less
than a virtuoso performance, as it was.

Bilger valved his way through this piece with an almost-calm
reassurance that said, "Make it as hard as you want and I’ll play it."

Arutunian, an Armenian composer and pianist, has written one of the
few concert pieces that celebrate the trumpet, and Bilger probably
has played this piece many times. But it did not sound old or recently
unshelved; it was brilliant.

Antonin Dvorak is well-known to the orchestra world, his Ninth Symphony
— known to most as the "New World Symphony" — perhaps being his
signature piece. But his other symphonies display his cultural roots
and the budding genius provided by mentor Johannes Brahms and the
enduring influence of Richard Wagner.

Last night, Smith chose Dvorak’s Seventh Symphony, written while
the Czech was at the apex of popularity in his native land. Dvorak’s
music at times takes second chair to Beethoven, Mozart and others,
but his infectious melodies and rhythms can’t be denied their place
in the symphonic repertoire.

It was unmistakably Dvorak: solo reeds and brass against a curtain
of velvet strings, and vice versa.

Blasting off the evening with Richard Strauss’ "Don Juan," the
orchestra developed the majestic themes of this well-known piece
to perfection. Any attendee could see the enjoyment on the faces of
the musicians as they played the piece. This is music that engages
everyone.

Smith made a surprise announcement at intermission that the pinnacle of
this golden-anniversary season will come on May 27, when the Richmond
Symphony will play at the Kennedy Center in Washington. The program
will include Gustav Mahler’s First Symphony, Sergei Rachmaninov’s
Second Piano Concerto and Maurice Ravel’s suite from the ballet
"Daphnis and Chloe."

Twenty-four carats, Smith. Keep it coming for the rest of the season.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress