As the composer admits, there is no avant-garde abstraction in this splendidly earthbound piece. Kenneth Fuchs’s Piano Concerto (2016) is subtitled Spiritualist and is inspired by the paintings of Helen Frankenthaler. World-renowned saxophonist Timothy McAllister’s brilliant, crowd-pleasing performance was equal parts rock-star swagger and supremely polished musicianship.
Fuchs’ output includes many works for wind band, and “Rush” showcases his mastery of the alto saxophone’s versatility in a symphonic setting. Of particular interest was the live of Kenneth Fuchs’ “Rush” – Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra, which earned Falletta her third Grammy Award in 2018, with the London Symphony Orchestra.Īs undeniably brilliant as that Naxos recording is, sometimes it takes a live performance for a musical work to make its full impact, particularly in the flawless acoustics of Kleinhans Music Hall. With Music Director JoAnn Falletta making a snowbird appearance with the Sarasota Orchestra, guest conductor Thomas Wilkins led an interesting program mixing standard fare with lesser-heard gems. Saturday’s Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra program, “Classical Sax,” was a satisfying combination of both. Other times, one goes to be challenged, to experience something with fresh ears and ultimately learn something new in the process. Sometimes one goes to an orchestra concert mainly for entertainment and enjoyment, to revel in the sounds of the familiar.
As his fingers glided - easily then emphatically, among the keys, his body language alone almost transfixed the audience. There was the symphony’s communicative background - at times whispering strings to augment, but never to overcome, the virtuoso power of the piano played by Biegel. Then, Biegel, at the keyboard, made it all come so very alive, with Maestro Raffaele Ponti’s direction and the orchestra’s quite visual enthusiasm. I am grateful to my long-time friend and Juilliard classmate Jeffrey Biegel for encouraging me, and his musical consultation, to compose the work.” “Taken together,” he said, “their titles make a logical progression, visually, emotionally, and musically. And he said he had long intended to use three of her “gorgeous canvases“ as a basis for a musical journey in a piano concerto. It represented to him “a silent wish, a natural answer” to celebrating life. It’s based on three paintings by Helen Frankenthaler, “Spiritualist,” “Silent Wish,” and “Natural Answer.” Fuchs told a pre-concert audience that he was “captivated” by the beauty, silent images, the quality of expression - and a “sense of wistfulness” - in her work. Nothing is intrusive, and it ends in a dreamy filmic quality where:Īfter intermission, it was internationally acclaimed pianist Jeffrey Biegel’s turn to enthrall the audience as he played American composer Kenneth Fuchs’ piano concerto “Spiritualist” …. Walker interweaves superbly with the orchestra as his flute glides over the sky, twittering, singing, and swooping in and out of the orchestral sound. It was inspired by that great American poet, Walt Whitman’s Memories of President Lincoln. I am not a huge fan of the flute, but this concerto is one I am drawn to through its irresistible poetic beauty. Solitary the Thrush is a flute concerto, and given that the flute was Fuchs’ first instrument and his appreciation of orchestration, this is an empathetic piece brought to life through Adam Walker’s superb mastery of his instrument. The triptych depicts three of Frankenthaler’s canvasses, which are not just Fuchs’ reactions to them but his reactions to their artistic sweep and power, as Guy Rickards points out in his excellently constructed programme notes …. Fuchs’ compositions tell a story through imaginative and colourful orchestration, where the different sections contribute inventive parts.Ĭloud Slant, the virtuoso Concerto for Orchestra (after three paintings by Helen Frankenthaler), was written for this recording. Why? Because the Grammy-Award-winning American orchestral composer has an original style that is melodic and conveys a wonderful mesmeric musical landscape. If you have not heard of Kenneth Fuchs, you just might want to give this Chandos disc a try.