[ REVIEW ]
Showman makes
flute sing in concert
Sir James Galway joined the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra on Friday for a memorable evening of music for flute and orchestra.
Halekulani MasterWorks
Samuel Wong, conductor
Sir James Galway, flute
Lady Jeanne Galway, fluteWhen: Today at 4:00 p.m.
Where: Blaisdell
Tickets: $21-$64
Call: 792-2000
The concert opened with Mendelssohn's "Italian" Symphony, a work poised between the Classic and Romantic eras. Conductor Samuel Wong emphasized Classical precision rather than Romantic emotion, creating sparkling textures of noteworthy clarity. The articulation of the woodwind section was impressive, and Stuart Chafetz added delicate touches on timpani.
It is hard to believe that this was Galway's first appearance with the Honolulu Symphony in a career that has spanned four decades. His reputation preceded him, as a large crowd competed for parking with fans of the Kamehameha Song Contest to hear the legendary performer in person.
Setting aside for the moment all questions of technique and musicianship, it was clear that Galway is a master showman who knows how to build a performance to an entertaining climax. He first appeared after intermission with his wife, Lady Jeanne Galway, in a Cimarosa concerto for two flutes. Their performance was elegant, refined, and understated.
Rarely showy in technique, the concerto was nonetheless an ideal vehicle for their ensemble playing, which was precise and comfortable. When the audience reacted enthusiastically to this offering, the duo responded with an encore of Mozart's "Rondo alla Turca," in which the Irish master's elfish humor began to show.
The Mercadante flute concerto that followed exhibited his virtuoso technique in an impressive solo concerto from the Romantic era. From the sighing motives of the first movement to the breathtaking runs of the third, he showed his mastery of the instrument and his ability to command the stage. This concluded the printed program, but he was only warming up.
After a standing ovation from the capacity crowd, he returned to the stage with a large group of supplemental orchestra players for a series of "lollipops" (a whimsical term borrowed from Sir Thomas Beecham). His performance of four arrangements of Henry Mancini tunes was peppered with anecdotes about the composer. Galway has made a reputation for mixing genres in his concerts, and his choice of these delightful numbers for encores proved to be a crowd-pleaser. He performed two of the works on the penny whistle, a small instrument that he handles with as much virtuosity as the standard flute.
Any other performer would have felt that the audience had been given more than its money's worth by this time, but Galway returned for one final "beg-off" piece, the Irish tune from County Derry known popularly as "Danny Boy." With his soulful rendition of this sentimental favorite, he concluded a most memorable performance that blended classical polish and popular appeal.
