September 16, 2022

I’ve been back in Baton Rouge this week, and it has been an exciting one.  Piano icon Emanuel Ax joined the orchestra this week as part of the BRSO’s Pennington Great Performers in Concert series. Manny brought not one, but two concertos with him—Mozart’s K. 456 and Brahms’ epic d minor.
 
It was interesting how the two concertos complemented each other on the program. Mozart added a nice dimension, both in the character of the work, and that it is a work not frequently played relative to some of his other 27 concertos for piano. It is also an unusual work harmonically and rhythmically in a way that almost anticipates some of the very compositional techniques that Brahms would later adopt in creating his own unique musical voice. Whether or not Brahms knew this concerto, I don’t know, but the coincidence is worth noting.
 
The concert was definitely one to remember as these works are squarely in Manny’s “wheelhouse” and he delivers like few others can. His style reflects a generation of musicians where less is more, and the music is freed to speak for itself. It was a great pleasure to share the stage with him and my friends of the BRSO.
 
Those of you who have followed my posts here may remember that my “farewell” concert with the BRSO was last May. The irony that I am back conducting a few months later is not lost on me. This program was set originally to happen in the early months of 2022, but the remodeling of the concert hall was not yet complete, so it was postponed until last night. I guess that is sometimes the nature of the business, and frankly, I was just happy to be back in BR with my good friends and colleagues of the orchestra.
 
Next up for me is the season opener of the Lansing Symphony in October. The concert will include a world premiere from our Composer-in-Residence, Patrick Harlin as well as Barber’s Violin Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.
 
NEXT UP
 
Lansing Symphony Orchestra
Wharton Center, East Lansing, Michigan
October 7, 2022
7:30 p.m.
 
Ade´Williams, violin
 
HARLIN            Bloom
BARBER           Violin Concerto
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5
 
#emanuelax #batonrouge #batonrougesymphony