OKC Phil offers `emotionally powerful' concert
Under the direction of Meastro Alexander Mickelthwate, our Oklahoma City Philharmonic delivered an eclectic and engaging concert Saturday night. Titled Impressionist Variations, the program opened with the early Debussy tone poem, “Prentemps.” An unusual but welcome addition to a February program, the warm, evocative work flattered the orchestra well, featuring the winds and their impressive range of tonal color and soloistic expressivity. The first half closed with Argentinian tangomaster Astor Piazzolla's breathtaking “Concerto for Bandoneon.” Daniel Binelli performed this sexy, intensely passionate piece with nuance, raw beauty and soul — particularly the heartfelt slow movement. The second half featured a visually stunning multimedia performance of a selection from “Lowak Shoppala' (Fire and Light)” by Norman native and Chickasaw Nation citizen, Jerod Impichchaachaaha' Tate. The work incorporated spoken-word poetry, a runway-style display of tribal regalia and featured Tate's own powerful, straight-tone vocals to strikingly beautiful effect. With this piece, Tate truly melded two musical worlds together seamlessly, resulting in a vibrant and memorable concert experience. For the finale, Ravel's “La Valse,” the orchestra expertly navigated myriad challenges presented by this technically demanding and exhausting work. While Mickelthwate's oversize gestures became a bit visually distracting, his musical interpretation demonstrated considerable restraint, serving the orchestra exceedingly well. Ravel's late fin de siecle work depicts the crumbling of the “old order” in the devastating aftermath of World
War I by structurally tearing a traditional waltz apart by the seams. Saturday's performance seemed to appropriately treat this piece seriously, neither reducing it to wild, unintelligible bombast or alternatively flippant frivolity. The performance was largely well-executed and emotionally powerful. The next Classics concert will be 8 p.m. March 16, featuring Ra ch ma ni nov and Schubert. Lauren R. Monteiro, For The Oklahoman