7:30 pm, Great Hall, GBPAC, Cedar Falls
Manuel Barrueco, guitar
Stravinsky – Pulcinella, Suite
Vivaldi – Guitar Concerto RV. 93
Sierra – Folias
Tchaikovsky – Suite no. 4, 'Mozartiana'
Related post – It's about time
WCFSO gives audience musical treat
By George F. Day
Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
November 10, 2005
The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra presented a November concert in the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center Saturday night. Jason Weinberger conducted, and the guest artist was guitarist Manuel Barrueco.
The program itself was a masterpiece. Maestro Weinberger always comes up with an unusual and challenging combination of works, ones that challenge performers and audience alike. Inevitably we hear pieces that pique our curiosity and expand our musical knowledge. The four works on this program were composed in [approximately] 1718, 1885, 1919, 2001; most of them were based on music written by earlier composers.
The first number was played by a small ensemble comprised of winds and strings – the 'Pulcinella' Suite by Igor Stravinsky, music from a ballet score. I am not familiar with the ballet, but it was easy to sense that each of the eight movements represents an episode in the dance. And, obviously, the ballet is largely a comic one. The startling contrasts [duels?] between instruments, such as trombone and flute, helped created a quite pleasant jocularity. The Stravinsky was played with refreshing verve. The orchestra’s winds and strings were at their very best.
Next we moved back a couple of centuries to the Vivaldi Concerto for Guitar in D Major, with Barrueco playing the solo instrument. Vivaldi’s Concerto is brief, less than 10 minutes, but it contains passages of great beauty. Baroque in structure and style, it remains very appealing to the modern ear. Especially fine is the lovely slow second movement.
Barrueco is clearly a master of his instrument. His tone was warm and rich, his fingering technique impeccable. He also performed ‘Folias' for Guitar and Orchestra, a contemporary work composed by Roberto Sierra expressly for Barrueco. The piece has a distinctly Spanish flavor [folias is a popular Spanish dance], with elements of Baroque and contemporary styles, including an attractive theme with several energetic variations.
The final piece was the Suite No. 4 in G [‘Mozartiana’] by Tchaikovsky, based on works by Mozart, Liszt and Gluck. There is not enough space to praise all of the players who contributed to the elegant performance of this extremely enjoyable work. But it would be a serious mistake not to mention guest concertmaster Rebecca Cherry’s thrilling performance of the violin solo in the slow movements; it inspired a thunderous ovation.
Note: All reviews are edited for length and spelling.