Joshua Bell wows in Houston Symphony

By Henry Bair and Chloe Tula     9/23/13 7:00pm

Bright, pealing notes from a 300-year-old violin pierced the spacious hall, settling into a cadenza spanning the entire range of the instrument, from dazzling streaks of light to dark chords, broken only by carefree pizzicato flourishes. Audiences were taken on a journey by the Houston Symphony. This concert series - "Joshua Bell Returns" - was remarkable not only for the Symphony's collaboration with the renowned violinist Joshua Bell, but also for the involvement of maestro Lawrence Foster, a prominent conductor who directed the Houston Symphony from 1971 to 1979, returning for the weekend to conduct the orchestra once again.

Celebrating its centennial this year, the Houston Symphony is one of the oldest performing arts organizations in America. Its rich history has included conduction by numerous esteemed directors and involvement with the best musicians around the world. In the last century, the orchestra has grown and matured from what was once a humble semi-professional group of part-time performers into a symphony today internationally recognized for its excellence.

The complex program consisted of works by Modest Mussorgsky, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Edward Elgar and featured Peter Tchaikovsky's famed Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35. The deeply romantic music was filled with nuanced solos, soaring melodies and rich, velvety interludes, whisking the audience through Russia, England and even Persia.

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Incorporating his vast knowledge of the intricacies of each piece, Foster never lost control over the massive orchestra; at the same time, his passion for the music was conveyed through the fiery vigor of his conducting.

An exotic English horn solo began the opening piece, "Dance of the Persian Slaves," a ballet from the opera "Khovanshchina" by Mussorgsky. Allowing for a more expressive tone in an otherwise dry concert hall, the piece exposed the varying textures from different sections of the orchestra.

Bell performed the Tchaikovsky violin concerto with limitless ease, playing with the energy of someone half his age and the skill of the experienced virtuoso he is. Having recently recorded the same piece with the Berlin Philharmonic earlier this year, Bell is no stranger to the immense challenge the piece presents to any performer. He has also recently become the conductor of the highly acclaimed Academy of St. Martin in the Fields ensemble. With confidence, he assumed a commanding role over the Houston Symphony but may have blurred the line between soloist and conductor more than necessary. However, his gusto and flawless playing won the hearts of the audience, which gave him a hearty standing ovation.

The second half of the program shifted from the music of Russia to that of the British Isles, beginning with Vaughan Williams' "Fantasia on Greensleeves," a whimsical take on a traditional folk song. 

The piece is known for its harp and flute duet, which was flawlessly executed by Rice University Shepherd School of Music associate professor of harp Paula Page and seasoned flutist Judith Dines.

The closing piece, Elgar's "Enigma Variations," provided a sharp contrast to both the virtuosic themes of Tchaikovsky and the simple yet poignant brilliance of Vaughan Williams, finishing the concert with a fresh feeling. The piece was written as multiple musical caricatures of Elgar's friends, originally conceived by the composer as a joke. Despite the often-jarring tonal shifts, Foster guided the orchestra's interpretation of each variation masterfully, effectively communicating each movement's distinct character.

The Houston Symphony's upcoming season features impressive soloists including Midori, Emanuel Ax, Gil Shaham and Johannes Moser. Student tickets, available for purchase one week prior to any given performance, are priced at $15 and provide the best seats available at the time of purchase. Additionally, a student pass priced at $50 gives access to every concert, both classical and pops, for the rest of the school year. A powerful, intellectually enriching experience for musicians and non-musicians alike, the Houston Symphony's concerts are something all students should take advantage of.

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