Symphony swings and sizzles

Winston-Salem Symphony soars on Shostakovich and jazz

By: Ken Keuffel | Winston-Salem Journal
Published: February 08, 2010

By Ken Keuffel
JOURNAL REPORTER
When it comes to programming, Robert Moody certainly isn't afraid of contrasts.
Take "Shostakovich and All the Jazz," which the Winston-Salem Symphony will present Tuesday, Feb. 9, at the Stevens Center after offering it there Sunday afternoon. Moody, the symphony's music director, has paired Shostakovich's Symphony No. 10 in E Minor with Gershwin's Concerto in F, having engaged Bryan Wallick, a stellar pianist, as the soloist in the latter. I can't think of two pieces that sound less alike.
Shostakovich's symphony ends in an optimistic manner — but only after giving us measure after measure of dark, serious, innovative and sometimes brutal sounds. It was premiered by the Leningrad Philharmonic in 1953, shortly after Stalin's death; it thus reflects the fact that "a slight liberality (had) ensued" among the Soviet censors, David Levy writes in program notes. Moody, in remarks to the audience before Sunday's performance, said that we can feel "the maniacal manner" in which Shostakovich is letting go of limitations imposed on him.
The Gershwin concerto, on the other hand, seems to abound in nothing but optimism. It affirms the idea that jazz can find a home in any environment of its choosing, and it invites us to relish everything from toe-tapping rhythm to most haunting of blues sounds.
So what is one to make of what Moody called this exploration of creative freedom? I think it's that creative freedom takes many different forms. When it's allowed to flourish, we should embrace the results, particularly when they're expressed with the kind of musicianship on display Sunday afternoon.
Wallick owned the Gershwin, investing every bar of it with just the right feel of verve and spontaneity. He and Moody inspired the orchestra to swing joyfully along — which seemed only natural, given how many players are also proficient in jazz. Trumpeter Anita Cirba shone during the extended bluesy introduction of the middle movement. The finale emerged with uncommon drive and energy.
As for Shostakovich's symphony, the orchestra's highly focused performance of it revealed a sound world that both roused us with its grandeur and impressed us with highly creative combinations of instruments.
kkeuffel@wsjournal.com.
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