October 7, 2006 7:30 pm
Great Hall, GBPAC, Cedar Falls
Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, violin
Stravinsky – Scherzo à la Russe
Tchaikovsky – Violin Concerto
Stravinsky – Petrouchka
WCFSO opens season with outstanding performances
By George F. Day
Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
October 11, 2006
The Waterloo Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra opened its 2006-07 subscription series Saturday with a powerful program in the Great Hall of the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. Jason Weinberger, music director, conducted the orchestra, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg was the guest soloist. In terms of artistic excellence and audience satisfaction this was surely one of the symphony’s finest concerts. The music was stunning and the ovations tumultuous.
The centerpiece of the evening was Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto no. 1 performed by the celebrated violinist Salerno-Sonnenberg. This concerto is familiar and one of the select few that any violinist must master in order to be considered a serious virtuoso. There was absolutely no doubt that Salerno-Sonnenberg has conquered the piece. The soloist explored the varying moods with superb technical accuracy and emotional energy. Her playing was simply electrifying, a word often used to describe her style.
The final work on the program was music for the ballet 'Petrouchka' by Stravinsky. A thoroughly modern work, this piece is filled with vitality and marvelously diverse instrumentation and unique sounds. The music accompanies a ballet that tells the story of a puppet, Petrouchka, who, though made of straw and wood shavings, has the human capacity for love.
Maestro Weinberger and the orchestra were in top form in their first concert of the season. As for the audience, they greeted the performance with standing ovations.
Note: All reviews are edited for length and spelling.