April 13, 2019
The San Antonio Symphony’s (loosely) Spanish-flavored concert of April 12 in the Tobin Center might be characterized as “populist,” minus the unfortunate political connotations. Most of the music was widely familiar and full of splash and dazzle, nicely revved up by music director Sebastian Lang-Lessing. The one unfamiliar piece, by the American composer Jennifer Higdon, was strikingly beautiful.
Only the ballet El amor brujo was Spanish all the way: the composer (Manuel de Falla), the story line (Andalusian), the place of composition (Madrid), the cut of the music – although there’s also some French influence from Falla's studies in Paris. The score is colorful and, often thrilling, especially in the closing “Ritual Fire Dance.” The Guadalupe Dance Company offered flamenco-inspired ballet sequences on the forestage – the space was a little cramped.
The three vocal episodes were sung by San Antonio mezzo-soprano Veronica Williams, who normally projects a rich, well-controlled operatic voice. To meet the demands of this role she adopted an almost frighteningly authentic cante flamenco vocal technique – virtually the opposite of everything her training had taught her to do. (The more familiar aspect of her instrument also made some welcome appearances.)
Two of the works on this concert views of Spain from France (Bizet’s Carmen Suite No. 1) and Russia (Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio espagnol). Cuba, not Spain, was the stylistic source of the “Mambo" from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story and the third movement, Danzon, of his Three Dance Variations from Fancy Free – all brilliantly exciting music, and all the brash exuberance was played to the hilt in this performance. Mr. Lang-Lessing tended to choose unusually fast tempos (even for him) in the Carmen Suite and the Bernstein works. A breaknace pace left the “Danzon" wanting time to breathe, but otherwise the quick tempos were bracing and effective.
Jennifer Higdon is that rare contemporary American composer whose music is widely performed. Her orchestral work blue cathedral has had three performances here (two by the symphony, one by the YOSA Philharmonic), and several of her chamber works have also been heard locally.
Her Breeze Serenade for string orchestra is a lovely work – iridescent in its layering of voices, somewhat icy in its harmonies, calm on the surface but teeming with contrapuntal life. The strings were in excellent form – as, indeed, was the entire orchestra in the rest of the program.
Continuing the symphony’s practice for its series of culinary-themed concerts, Texas-Mexican cooking maven Adán Medrano prepared little balls of chiles and cactus on stage while the orchestra played the Fancy Free music. The music was, of course, strong enough to overcome the distraction. Was the food strong enough to compete with the music? I can't say. Nobody (sniff) offered me any.
Mike Greenberg
Veronica Williams
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A little Spain, a lot of dazzle
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SA Symphony, SLL, Veronica Williams