Symphony program titles often reveal very little about a concert's content, but the
's "Images of Italy" Friday night was a bit of an understatement.
This was more like a sweeping Italian panorama, from Renaissance music through the eyes of Ottorino Respighi in the early 20th century, to the tongue-in-cheek modernism of Lucia Berio mapped onto one of his country's greatest composers, Giuseppe Verdi.
Even the guest conductor's name contributed to the Italian visage, though Case Scaglione is actually from Texas.
Case Scaglione, guest conductor
Christian Reinert, tenor
Friday, Alys Stephens Center
Repeats Saturday at 8 p.m.
Four stars out of five
The tour began with the third suite of Respighi's "Ancient Airs and Dances," giving an
audience the first view of a possible successor to Music Director Justin Brown. Scaglione, the 29-year-old assistant to Alan Gilbert at the
, gave immediate notice of his ability to forge a "sound" with the strings, challenging them with abrupt tempo shifts, gently drawing out lyrical phrases and infusing power when needed.
If Scaglione's musical canvas was clearly painted in this neo-Renaissance classic, the technique was still unfinished, mired in bouts of uneven ensemble. Those clouds would pass later in the concert.
Scaglione introduced Giuseppe Verdi's "Eight Romances for Tenor and Orchestra" as a piece by Luciano Berio, and he may have a point in making the reattribution. More than a mere arrangement of Verdi songs that were originally composed for voice and piano, the work inserts Berio's gritty musical language and has fun with Wagner, Schoenberg and, yes, Verdi. Much of the work's dynamic lies in interludes between the songs, which often delved into late 20th century avant garde stylings. Add a soft gong, eerie glissandos and an oom-pah waltz rhythm reminiscent of a town band, and there's not much left of Verdi.
There were, of course, moments of true Verdi discourse, which were nicely presented by tenor
. At 30 minutes-plus of demanding singing, however, the work is a vocal tour de force, and Reinert began to show signs of strain toward the end.
With Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 ("Italian"), Scaglione revealed his talents. Playing at an energetic pace, the orchestra has rarely sounded as crisp and polished. Well-defined ebbs and flows and nicely controlled give-and-take among sections made for exciting listening.
Scaglione's subtle gestures in the Andante translated to descriptive orchestral color. His exaggerated arm movements in the finale gave the orchestra reason to let loose. It was satisfying end to a pictorial musical journey.