Matthew J. Palm:
Rousing start for Phil’s Focus series.
The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra opened its Focus Concert series Monday night with two new works — one written in tribute to the City Beautiful.
Central Florida composer Keith Lay’s “Fanfare Orlando” got things started at the Plaza Live; the work previously had been played at the start of this year’s Classics and Pops series.
“It really feels like a special way to tie the season together,” said music director Eric Jacobsen. The Philharmonic commissioned the piece in celebration of the orchestra’s 25th season.
“Brass fanfares are meant to uplift,” explained Lay of his vision. “I think we’re all very proud of our city.”
The fanfare has an urban energy to it, a buzz of motion. As with the disparate opinions and voices of Orlando, it’s not always clear in the city’s namesake composition who is taking the lead or what direction everyone’s heading. But just as Central Floridians pull together when it counts, the fanfare musicians end up on the same page in a brilliantly blazing finale.
The program’s second new work was a flute concerto by Judd Greenstein, fronted by principal flautist Colleen Blagov.
“I certainly gave Colleen more than enough notes to play,” Greenstein quipped. He wasn’t kidding. Blagov expertly played through tricky runs while keeping the energy high through precise rhythms.
Greenstein writes so that the backing musicians often play parts as intriguing as the soloist. In this case, despite Jacobsen’s efforts to keep the sound in balance, the rest of the orchestra at times overpowered Blagov. Greenstein also employs surprising percussive moments — including cymbals and gong. One favorite moment: the plucked strings of the bass sounding like big, wet drops of rain.
For a dynamic reading of Dvorak’s “Silent Woods,” Jacobsen soloed on cello while guest conductor Jesse Brault took the podium. The original Czech title of the work translates roughly to “peace” or “tranquility.” But the engrossingly intense playing of Jacobsen and the other musicians emphatically showed that “tranquil” is not the same thing as “somniferous.”
The second half of the program was given over to a delightfully spirited rendition of Elgar’s famed “Enigma Variations,” directed playfully by Jacobsen. The orchestra found the right affectionate tone for the various personalities Elgar illuminates in his work — from soothing melody to crashing timpani. The gorgeous swells and ebbs in sound led to a triumphant finale.