Houston Symphony Orchestra Opening Night 2016 Review

Introduction

This paper reviews the opening night concert hosted on September 17, 2016, beginning at 7:30 pm, by the Houston Symphony Orchestra at Jones Hall, Houston, Texas — more precisely, the Jesse H. Jones Hall for the Performing Arts. The concert was conducted by Andrés Orozco-Estrada, the Houston Symphony's music director. The performance venue serves as the permanent home of both the Orchestra and the Houston Society for the Performing Arts (Houston Symphony).

Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf

The spectacular musical story by Prokofiev, performed by the Orchestra, features a valiant young boy, Peter, who helps his friends — the animals of the forest — outwit a predator. The Orchestra accompanies Sir Ben Kingsley, the famed Oscar-winner, who brings the tale to life as narrator through a mesmerizing rendition. All characters possess musical alter egos, and the Orchestra's many instruments are used to represent Peter's animal friends.

First written and composed in 1936, this musical piece famously employs personified musical instruments to tell the tale of the boy (strings), a bird (flute), a duck (oboe), and an impish cat (clarinet). The boy becomes the unsuspecting hero, outsmarting the wicked wolf — represented by French horns — who is determined to menace the boy's little Russian village and his dear animal companions (Smith).

According to Smith, the tale's opening affords very rich action and imagery, requiring no spoken words at all; the music is treated with deep respect throughout. Not all parts of the tale are cheery — the antagonist swallows an unlucky duck. The sonic elements are highly ingenious and so engaging that the overall effect is thoroughly uplifting. The ending displays a moving turn toward the moonlight. Because the clever matching of instrument with character allows virtually every listener to easily visualize the scenes, the short original text suffices in neatly completing the performance.

Rossini's Overture to La gazza ladra

Rossini's La gazza ladra (The Thieving Magpie) was composed in 1817 as a two-act opera. The Overture is available in Italian and German editions; the latter, which was performed at the concert I attended, features a more forceful brass element. The score calls for a piccolo and flute, two oboes, four horns, timpani, three trombones, two clarinets, bass drum, two bassoons, snare drum, two trumpets, tuba, strings, and triangle (Steinberg).

La gazza ladra may be considered a comedy, or a drama with a significant number of comic features, with a happy finale lasting roughly ten minutes. Moving from the overture's introduction to its main part, the composer switches from major to minor, commencing a new section with a contrasting theme built on light-footed pianissimo triplets. This theme, introduced by the oboe, struck me as charmingly glib. As one might expect from a Rossini work, the overture is followed by an enticing crescendo. In its own right, the piece is undeniably one of Rossini's masterpieces (Steinberg).

Conclusion

On the whole, the orchestra with its opera soloists and actors was conducted commendably by Orozco-Estrada. They delivered a marvelous, highly enjoyable, and imposing performance that was well-appreciated by all in the audience.