By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
From left, Nicole Young, Cora Yamagata and Esther Izuo
are nymphs in Nijinski's "Faun."
French showcase seduces
By Ruth O. Bingham
Special to the Star-BulletinPASSION is what music is all about. Whether raging or still, dancing or mourning, effusive or reserved, music expresses profound, passionate emotions.
All too often, classical music retreats into the comfortable, resulting in music that is neither noticeably good nor bad. French music, in particular, can seduce with such grace and elegance that it sounds lovely even without passion, but beware: When the passion is there, it will steal your heart.
For its latest masterworks concert, Honolulu Symphony presented an entire afternoon of French music from around the turn of the century: Claude Debussy's "Prelude l'Apres-Midi d'un Faune (Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun," of 1894, Camille Saint-Saens' Violoncello Concerto No.1, Opus 33, of 1872, and Maurice Ravel's "Ma Mere l'Oye (Mother Goose)" of 1911 and his Suite No. 2 from "Daphnis et Chloe" of 1912.
The Honolulu Symphony: With cellist Matt Haimovitz and the UH Department of Theatre and Dance; 7:30 p.m. tomorrow; Blaisdell Concert Hall. Tickets are $15-$47.50, with 100 $5 tickets available for cash purchase in person tomorrow only, until one hour before the concert. Call 538-8863
All except the cello concerto were ballets, and the symphony audience had the rare opportunity to see one of them performed. The University of Hawaii's Department of Theatre and Dance performed Vaslav Nijinsky's original choreography for Debussy's Prelude in an Asian-Pacific premiere, directed by Betsy Fisher.
Despite its age, Nijinsky's non-traditional dance, based on the bas-relief figures familiar from ancient Greece, remains compelling, perhaps even shocking with its raw sensuality. Although the dancers were somewhat reserved and therefore less explicitly sexual than the original, they presented a strong and accurate rendition, like the figures of an urn brought to life.
Norbert Larsen as the faun deserved special note for his closing moments of passion. Cellist Matt Haimovitz, seemingly at ease with French musical syntax, displayed his formidable virtuoso technique and soaring lyricism in Saint-Saens' compact concerto. He and conductor Samuel Wong worked well together, creating almost a duet with Haimovitz playing the cello and Wong playing the orchestra.
The concerto's technical demands appeared to inspire Haimovitz,whose playing became ever more passionate. The two Ravel pieces, both wonderfully lush and evocative, so full of solos, so quintessentially French in style, were a study in contrast.
"Mother Goose," while engaging, enjoyable, elegant, graceful, nonetheless failed to inspire. The orchestra's stilted, uncertain opening lacked the fantasy of a "once upon a time" fairy tale; its beautiful moments were comfortably lovely.
"Daphnis et Chloe," however, was everything "Mother Goose" was not: Full of excitement, energy, fire, passion. In a riveting, perhaps even great interpretation, Wong captured the magic of what he called "a brilliant, sweeping score."
Wong displayed a special affinity for this piece, coaxing from the orchestra nuances rarely heard. His masterful control of pacing gave each crest and reverie its due, building to breathtaking climaxes and a well deserved standing ovation.
Ruth O. Bingham has a Ph.D. in musicology from
Cornell University, is a free-lance writer and teaches part-time at
the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
