The Chesapeake Orchestra, music director, Jeffrey Silberschlag, and friends, performed the second concert of the River Concert Series on the evening of Friday, June 25, 2010 on the green at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, to a large crowd.
The concert featured four works by well known composers. Richard Strauss Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme Suite (The Middleclass Gentleman) based on a comedy by Moliere during a time when, according to Jeffrey Silberschlag, Royalty thought there was no such thing as a middle class gentleman. The nine part piece was revised from a play and opera into an orchestral work. The work tells a story of a man trying to impress the aristocracy by learning to fence, dance and dress expensively. The Overture featured lovely deep basses; there were some light pleasant flute solos later in the work, some bouncy syncopated violins featuring José Cueto, and a section that was light, playful and waltz-like. Eliza Garth, a faculty member of St. Mary’s College of Maryland was featured on the piano.
Guitarist, Orlando Roman, a six year member of the faculty of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, was the star attraction in Manuel Ponce’s Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra. The three movement piece originally written for Andrés Segovia was well received by the audience, with its Spanish sound, light fast finger work and chimes in the high register. The piece showed off the talents of Dr. Roman, with his smooth fretwork on the classical guitar. Dr. Roman has received many awards, and has performed in many Spanish speaking countries and Eastern Europe.
The third piece, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Concerto for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra featured Giuseppe Nova on his golden flute and the lovely Floraleda Sacchi with her golden harp. The three movement piece was light and pleasant, becoming more smooth and legato during the second movement and had some flute trills and many low arpeggios on the harp. Mr. Nova is currently co-director of the St. Mary’s College of Maryland Alba Italy campus and has a number of recordings. Floraleda Sacchi has performed all over the world and has recordings with Decca. The final work was Igor Stravinsky’s Pulchinella Suite which featured many performers in the Chesapeake Orchestra on oboe, trumpet, horn and trombone, to name a few.
The eight numbers in the score included many styles from soft and serious, to drum-like staccato by the cellos and basses, fast paced violin and violas and sliding trombones. Jeffrey Silberschlag ended the evening with the statement, “That was great, just under overtime.” Next week, on Friday, July 2nd the River Concert features Brian Ganz, a superb pianist, and faculty member of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, the Marine Saxophone Quartet and music composed by George Gershwin, John Williams and Sousa, and Fireworks.
