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NY Pops – By Special Request: An Evening With The Orchestra
By Stewart Schulman A concert where the orchestra was the star and the conductor its leading player. “By Special Request: An Evening With The Orchestra” was an artfully conceived and delightfully entertaining concert comprised of classic works by three 19th/20th century European masters (Part 1), favorites by three legendary New York composers (Part 2), and the inspirational premiere of one energetic young 21st century “American upstart”. The well-structured concert offered a terrific selection of music, making for a truly memorable evening. This was a New York Pops concert where the orchestra was the star and the conductor its leading player. The performance opened beautifully with Antonin Dvorak’s vivacious “Carnival Overture, Op. 92.” At its intense and powerful conclusion, Musical Director Steven Reineke turned to the audience, gasping: “I’m out of breath!” playfully ushering in “By Special Request” a NY Pops annual tradition—an evening of classical, opera, ballet and theater music.
Carl Orff ‘s “O Fortuna”, from Carmina Burana followed, featuring the formidable choral ensemble work of Essential Voices USA under the leadership of Judith Clurman. When this thrilling masterpiece ended with a bang, Maestro Reineke explained: “Just to be clear, that music was not written for the movie Excalibur or Howard Stern,” both of which popularized the piece. It is, in fact, a scenic cantata composed in 1935 and 1936, based on 24 poems from the medieval collection Carmina Burana, covering topics as familiar in the 13th century as today, such as the fickleness of fortune and wealth and the ephemeral nature of life. Selections from Georges Bizet’s Carmen ensued. The dark theme in “Prelude to Act I from Suite No. 1” blending seamlessly into the alluring strains of the “Aragonaise, from Suite No. 2,” into the seductive “Habanera, from Suite No. 2,” concluding with “Les Toreadors, from Suite No. 1.” Some of the world’s all time great music. It was sad to learn that Bizet died at 36, never witnessing the success of his timeless work. Closing the evening’s first half was the New York City premiere of Steven Reineke’s composition “Festival Te Deum.” “An orchestral and choral piece I was commissioned to compose in 2002 to Te Deum, which I found daunting. It took me 6 months to write.” As the audience clapped, Mr. Reineke humbly added: “Don’t applaud until you’ve heard it!” Only they were right to applaud. “Festival Te Deum” was an evening highlight—grand, triumphant, inspirational—a glorious marriage of instrument and voice, magnificently sung by Essential Voices USA. One can only imagine how thrilling it must have been for Composer Reineke to have Maestro Reineke adroitly conduct the astonishing vocalists and musicians in that legendary venue with its renowned acoustics. Bravo to both Composer and Maestro Reineke! Part 2, the New York composer half, opened with the pounding drums and blaring horns of Aaron Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man.” Maestro Reineke wished “a Happy birthday to Aaron Copland, who was born on this day, November 14th, in Brooklyn, in 1900.” “Variations on a Shaker Melody - Simple Gifts,” a piece Mr. Copeland wrote for Martha Graham for Appalachian Spring followed—evoking the endless promise of the American Landscape. “The Promise of Living” from The Tender Land, (with the Essential Voices USA chorus), evoked the earthy, hopeful determination of the American spirit. By the time “Hoe-Down,” from the ballet Rodeo closed out Mr. Copeland’s portion, one realized that part of what elevated the evening’s presentation was Maestro Reineke’s energetic conducting itself. On this piece in particular it was so bouncily compelling, one imagined he might just up and dosey doe. His energetic conducting continued with Skitch Henderson’s 1930 orchestration of George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris,” composed in 1928. In the program notes from the Carnegie Hall premiere that same year, Mr. Gershwin asked his audience to imagine a foreigner, an American, visiting Paris as he experiences the sights and sounds of The City of Lights—the honking cars, the bustling cafes, the crowded streets. Mr. Reineke conducted here with the sultry port de bras of a Jazz Age dancer conjuring images of Cyd Charisse and Gene Kelly in the movie of the same name. Boston-born New Yorker, Leonard Bernstein, was the evening’s final composer. Mr. Reineke conducted his piece “Times Square” from On The Town, (one of three dance episodes created for that musical in 1944) with a swagger that would’ve made Jerome Robbins proud. The evening’s finale consisted of Mr. Bernstein’s “Make Our Garden Grow,” from Candide, with Essential Voices USA’s lovely soloists Lauren Frankovitch and Arlo Hill. This was followed by an encore of “Dance at the Gym” from Westside Story with Maestro Reineke inviting us to join in and sing “Mambo!” with the chorus. The hot trumpets and hot percussion on this selection brought the audience to its feet. “Great music played by a great orchestra” was how Mr. Reineke summed it up as he bid us goodnight. And he was right. The rest of the 2014-2015 NY Pops season features: Friday, December 19, 2014 at 8:00PMSaturday, December 20, 2014 at 8:00PM KELLI AND MATTHEW: HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS Steven Reineke, Music Director and Conductor with Kelli O’Hara and Matthew Morrison Essential Voices USA, Judith Clurman, Music Director and Conductor Friday, March 13, 2015 at 8:00PM Friday, April 10, 2015 at 8:00PM Purchases can be made at the Carnegie Hall Box Office (57th Street and 7th Avenue) or by calling CarnegieCharge at 212-247-7800. Visit http://www.carnegiehall.org for more information. 
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