Projo Arts Blog

The big news coming out of Saturday's Rhode Island Philharmonic concert was the return of German cellist Alban Gerhardt, who gave a wonderfully heartfelt performance of the dreamy Elgar Cello Concerto. Gerhardt, who has quite a reputation in Europe, made his Philharmonic debut last season and was quickly signed up for an encore appearance.

And it's not hard to see why. He's quite a superstar, right up there with the likes of Yo-Yo Ma. What was so special about the Elgar was the emotional range Gerhardt brought to the score. You found yourself hanging on every note of the tender slow movement, while there was great drama to the opening passages and lots of drive to the fleeting "Allegro molto" section.

There was also an amazing lushness to his playing, which had no trouble filling Veterans Memorial Auditorium.

But the Elgar was not the only offering on the program. Conductor Larry Rachleff opened with the dance suite from Manuel de Falla's "The Three-Cornered Hat," which had a sizzling finale. Jane Murray stood out for her fine English horn solo.

Then after intermission came a glittering performance of Igor Stravinsky's "Petrouchka," written just a few years before the Falla in 1911. Rachleff chose to perform the complete ballet score from 1947. He told the audience before the start of the performance that this was perhaps Stravinsky's "most virtuosic" piece for orchestra. It is certainly his most colorful and upbeat.

The score has a lot of folk-like tunes, as it tells the tale of a magician who brings to life thee puppets; Petrouchka, a ballerina and a handsome but stupid Moor. Petrouchka falls for the ballerina, who is repelled by him. She is more interested in the Moor, who ends up getting in a fight with Petrouchka and killing him. In the end, Petrouchka's ghost appears over the puppet booth to mock the crowd.

Rachleff said Stravinsky called that coda "my very best last few measures."

Anyway, the performance was stunning, with some terrific solo work from principal trumpeter Joe Foley, who was heard in a number of bright, sunny passages, and from principal flutist Susan Thomas. The male pianist, who wasn't identified in the program, was also excellent.

 

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