The DSO is BACK!

By Guest Blogger, Christine Facciolo
Christine holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music and continues to apply her voice to all genres of music.  An arts lover since childhood, she currently works as a freelance writer.

There’s nothing more magical than when great music comes to life in the hands of expert players under the direction of a conductor who breathes animation into the music.  And that’s exactly what happened when the Delaware Symphony Orchestra and Maestro David Amado opened the 2013 season on Friday, January 25.

The program featured three late 19^th Century works: Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and the overture to the opera Hansel and Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck. And while the heavy lifting of the Romantic era was pretty much over by this time, the continued popularity of these selections shows the enduring appeal of this most influential period in the history of Western music.

Dvorak spent the years between 1892 and 1895 in America, having been invited to develop an “American sound.”  Indeed, people often comment on the “American-ness” of his final symphony—that its themes recall Negro spirituals or Native American music.

But what’s at work here: fact or the mere power of suggestion?   If it hadn’t been composed in America or been nicknamed “From the New World,” would anyone on this side of the Atlantic have made the connection?  Dvorak never acknowledged use of particular melodies, but rather attempted to transfer the idioms of folk music to the symphonic form. The Ninth Symphony is every bit as Dvorak and Czech as anything he’d ever written — right down to the bucolic trio in the Scherzo.

But none of that matters, for Dvorak has given us one of the greatest gems of the symphonic literature — and the DSO one of its finest performances. The rhythmic vitality of the opening movement was present throughout with some excellent horn playing in particular.  The gorgeous Largo melody was presented with a graceful poise bookended with a series of sonorous chromatic harmonies. Bursts of orchestral sunlight punctuated the dramatic Scherzo. The brass came blazing back in the Finale which under Amado’s direction was full of urgency, drive and passion.

Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1 is a fascinating but still underrated piece.  It contains some of the composer’s most beguiling melodies and one of the finest cadenzas ever written.  DSO principal pianist Lura Johnson rendered the first movement with an air of confidence and ease — her cadenza powerful yet insightful and moving.  In the following movements, Rachmaninoff’s Romanticism blossoms while her virtuosity sizzles.  Amado and the orchestra did well with a score that really doesn’t give the instrumentalist much to chew on.

The concert opened with the overture to Engelbert Humperdinck’s opera Hansel and Gretel.  The composition is imaginative, mixing childlike simplicity with feisty depth.  The brass shined in the opening bars of this holiday favorite, a perfect selection for a snowy Friday night.

See www.delawaresymphony.org. 

Buon Giorno, Pinocchio!

By Blogger Charles "Ebbie" Alfree, III

Tom Marshall converts the Delaware Children's Theatre (DCT) into a whimsical 19th century Italian village where a marionette-maker designs a puppet that eventually becomes human.

For 40 years, DCT has produced family-friendly musicals based on beloved children stories and nursery rhymes, and they continue the tradition with their current production of Pinocchio. The boisterous production is cheerful and bright - perfect for children of all ages!

The show opens with our narrator for the afternoon, Antonio (Andrew Stewart), a cabinet-maker in the Italian village who leads the cast in a rousing opening number. Antonio's shop is across the street from the puppet-maker, Geppetto's (Tripp Ivie) store. Geppetto has recently completed his first life-like puppet, Pinocchio (Will Rotsch). Wishing he had a child, Geppetto treats his human-like puppet as his son.

One day the Blue Fairy (Mary Spacht), disguised as a peasant girl, walks by Geppetto's store asking for bread, instead of acknowledging her request, the extremely generous Geppetto gives her five gold pieces so she can buy bread and additional food. Because of his kindness, the Blue Fairy grants Geppetto's wish and transforms Pinocchio into an "almost" little boy! Although he can walk and speak, he's still made out of wood.

Like every little boy, Pinocchio needs to learn responsibility and respect for his father, but like most children, Pinocchio disobeys and we all know what happens when he lies! Pinocchio's actions lead him to a troubled adventure, from skipping school with The Bad Boy Gang to traveling to the mysterious Land of the Toys and from being conned by the fox, Signore Valpone (Dan Healy), and the cat, Signori Gatta (Lynne Lew) to being swallowed by a whale.

The production is delightful with a storybookesque set by David Schuh and colorful costumes by Carolyn Czipoth. The cast sparkles; I particularly enjoyed their Italian accents! Mr. Rostch is superb as Pinocchio. He perfected the movements of a puppet, clunky walking at the end of strings to being limp. It's most impressive to see a young man, as Mr. Rostch, carry a show with great charisma and showmanship. Both Mr. Ivie as Geppetto and Mr. Stewart as Antionio delight the audience with stirring performances. Great comic relief comes from Mr. Healy and Mrs. Lew's number, as they quibble about their evil doings and eventually conning Pinocchio.

Pinocchio is an enchanting production that shouldn't be missed. The show runs through February 10. For more information visit www.dechildrenstheatre.org or call (302) 655-1014.

A Visit with Tiffany & the Organ...at Trinity

By Guest Blogger, Mary Wilcosky.  Mary is OperaDelaware's Marketing Manager, and a longtime supporter and lover of the Delaware Arts scene.

I’ve attended concerts at Wilmington's Trinity Episcopal Church for years – but it wasn’t until this fall that I realized the beautiful stained-glass windows were the work of the Louis Tiffany Studio. Were it not for the lecture and organ recital on Saturday, January 19, as part of The Arts at Trinity series, I still may have been blissfully unaware!

The name ‘Tiffany’ would be a draw itself; the fact that this was a lecture and improvised organ performance combination made it an event not to be missed!  (Living for many year across from the National Cathedral in Washington DC, I grew to love organ music and the improvisations that organists used to entertain audiences.)  

This informative and entertaining lecture had the added value of allowing attendees to get up close and even touch the glass.  As guest lecturer Josh Probert noted, the Tiffany Studio used a different approach to more traditional method of stained-glass windows, which could be observed on the sides of the church.  From medieval times to the turn of the previous century and continuing today, the glass was colored with paint to create the image and modeling such as drapery folds.  But Tiffany used layers of colored glass to create the image and the modeling; it was amazing to see and feel the swirls in the glass itself.  The faces were painted, but all other effects were achieved by layering colors and textures. 

As a medieval art historian who has done my fair share of iconographical research, it was interesting to me to hear Probert’s take on Victorian women being considered more ‘virtuous’. Therefore, women’s images predominated many of the depictions, coupled with the fact that women were usually the donors of these windows.  It was also interesting to hear how it was wealthy patrons travelling abroad who returned with urgings for their own churches to have grander interiors.  How many of us enter a church and question it’s design or structure?  Moreover, how many generations of us have enjoyed the resulting beauty, all due to Americans congregants wanting to be on a par with European counterparts?

Organist Richard Fitzgerald did a wonderful job of conveying the subject of each window with his selections and improvisations.  I especially like the improvisation for the Main Altar Window, based on the literary text “Come unto me, ye that labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest”. As he played, the light coming through the window seemed to be one with the music, and I was totally mesmerized by the beautiful image of the window and the swirling notes of the organ.

The Arts at Trinity series presents a variety of music, lectures and performances throughout the year – all free-will donation to attend!  Next up, City Theater Company's troupe, Fearless Improv, takes over the stage at Trinity on Saturday, February 23, at 7:30pm.

See www.theartsattrinity.org.