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When I was 15 or 16 and first getting into classical music, there was one musician who I instinctively didn’t like for any discernible reason whatsoever: James Galway. My reason—like most reasons for anything when you’re a teenager—was simple and stupid: most, if not all of his albums, featured a shiny picture of him on the cover. I now wish I could go back in time to tell 16-year-old me a dirty secret: he didn’t make those decisions, the record company did, and the reason the record company marketed him that way was because he was a superhuman performer.

Almost two decades have passed since then, but Galway remains one of the most popular musicians in the world, maintaining a busy touring schedule and still packing houses and selling records by the truckload (by classical standards anyway). His ability has perhaps lost some of its luster relative to some of the current superstars of the flute world like Mathieu Dufour or Emmanuel Pahud, but his presence and showmanship have filled in any gaps. Last Thursday’s Harriman-Jewell Series concert at the Folly Theater was a tremendously entertaining and musically rewarding evening that showed off Galway’s technical skill and musicality in equal measure.

The balance of the program was nice, a blend between the musically serious and the mindlessly hell-raising. On the serious side was a superb performance of Gabriel Faure’s Fantasie for Flute and Piano, which Galway and Michael McHale handled with aplomb, and an engaging and evocative take on Hamilton Harty’s In Ireland. The highlight of the evening, for me, was the arrangement of Debussy’s Clair de lune. I confess to being skeptical going in, but Galway played with a sensitivity that very few musicians possess, and by the time he reached the final ascending passage the simple serenity and beauty of Debussy’s music seemed to wash over the entire audience; several patrons in my section let out audible sighs afterwards, myself included.

There were a couple works for two flutes by Franz Doppler on the program, and Sir James was joined by his wife, Lady Jeanne Galway to perform them. Both flutists and pianist McHale blended together magnificently, drifting in and out of the texture, seizing control where applicable, and playing with flawless intonation and balance, a consummate display of teamwork. I really cannot say enough about McHale. He exhibited an incredible flexibility and was focused all night; if I’ve heard better collaborative piano work in my 15 years in music, I can’t recall it easily. 

Galway also displayed a flair for the dramatic, scattering the program with the sort of virtuosic showpieces that always elicit enthusiastic reception. In both The Swiss Shepherd of Francesco Morlacchi and the Carnival of Venice of Giulio Briccialdi, the soloist dazzled with furious articulation that was as crisp as a snare drum and wild runs that wowed the audience repeatedly. Galway’s own arrangement of Francois Borne’s Carmen Fantasie was a fitting capper, a delightful and tune-filled spectacle that brought the crowd to its feet. It was a wonderful performance from world-class performers and deserving of the rich ovation it received.

REVIEW:
Harriman-Jewell Series
James Galway 
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Folly Theater
300 W. 12^th St., Kansas City, MO
For tickets call (816) 415-5025, or visit online at www.hjseries.org.

Top Photo: James Galway

By Erik Klackner

Classical Contributor

Erik Klackner loves music enough to try and write about it. After receiving a bachelor's degree in horn from the University of Kentucky and a master's in orchestral conducting from the University of Utah, Erik worked as a freelance musician in the Pacific Northwest before relocating to the Midwest. There is an 85% chance that he is engrossed is some random Varèse piece or Bruckner 9 as you are reading this sentence. His unedited thoughts can be read at klacknermusic.wordpress.com.