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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

“Grand Celebration” perfectly describes of the atmosphere Friday at the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. Spirits were high among musicians and concertgoers in anticipation of the Kansas City Symphony’s inaugural season in Helzberg Hall, starting with this first program inspired by quintessential human and earthly delights. Attendees, several dressed in their finest, enjoyed the sleek Brandmeyer Great Hall’s contemporary architecture and sweeping city views while awaiting the evening’s first notes.

After introductory comments to the capacity audience by KCS board president Shirley Helzberg and executive director Frank Byrne, the Symphony performed the Star-Spangled Banner before launching into Stravinsky’s short, colorful and feisty Fireworks. Although a well-programmed, fun opener and executed with ample energy, Fireworks fizzled from the shaky horn entrance and muddy low strings.

Pianist Emanuel Ax took the stage for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5. Ax’s vigor was incredible; he captivated the audience with his spry yet lyrical rendition, especially in the first movement’s intricate phrasing and final movement’s invigorating rhythms. While the balance in Helzberg Hall between piano and orchestra was far superior to the Lyric Theatre, the piano’s tone was a bit bright and tinny for my taste with a low end lost in the mix.

The first of the Symphony’s three world premieres commissioned for this season, local composer Chen Yi’s Fountains of KC continued the concert after intermission. The piece, inspired by the spurts and streams from our city’s fountains, was dark and dissonant with restless energy. In Helzberg, each layer of Chen’s dense orchestration was easily discernible. Listeners familiar with Chen’s work recognized a few of her signature gestures, but new motives and the active character of the work were intriguing and satisfying.

Respighi’s majestic I pini di Roma [The Pines of Rome] superbly demonstrated the acoustic brilliance of the hall. The low strings and horns produced the absolute warmest, most sonorous tone I have heard from them in my ten years in Kansas City in the opening of the second movement. A palpable stillness enveloped the audience during the eloquent third movement while clarinetist Raymond Santos conveyed the dulcet solo with delicate grace and acute sensitivity. The fourth movement stunned with the placement of brass duos in the grand tiers and in the organ loft, providing a gratifyingly full sonic experience resulting in roaring applause and a standing ovation. [Full disclosure: my seat was in the upper grand tier right section.]

The Symphony concluded the concert with an encore of Berlioz’s Marche hongroise before the champagne reception in the lobby. While the gesture was wonderful, it was awkward that most of the audience left the hall while the Symphony was still onstage—they missed some of the most exuberant playing of the night.

Helzberg Hall is truly a masterpiece of science, sound and space. Each line from every instrument was pleasantly distinguishable and the balance between sections astonishing. The peril of such an impeccably tuned room though is how unfortunately audible extraneous noise can be: a cell phone ring delayed Stern’s downbeat for Chen Yi’s piece; coughing delayed the second movement of the Beethoven. No doubt we (audience and orchestra) are still learning the space and I optimistically anticipate this will not be as much an issue into the future.

REVIEW:
Kansas City Symphony
Grand Celebration! Emanuel Ax plays Beethoven
September 23–25, 2011 (Reviewed Friday, September 23)
Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Helzberg Hall
1601 Broadway, Kansas City, MO
For more information visit www.kcsymphony.org

Top photo: Kansas City Symphony in Helzberg Hall

By Kristin Shafel Omiccioli

Editorial Assignments Executive Editor; Traditional and New Classical Contributor

Kristin Shafel Omiccioli, a native of Madison, WI, holds composition degrees (M.M., B.M.) from the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance. Kristin's compositions have been performed at national and regional new music festivals and conferences throughout the United States. During her time at UMKC, Kristin also focused on double bass performance and arts administration. She was a student leader and performer in many of the Conservatory's student organizations and ensembles, including Musica Nova, Composers' Guild, the Conservatory Student Association, the orchestras, and Wind Symphony. Her composition instructors were James Mobberley, Paul Rudy, Zhou Long, and Chen Yi, and her bass instructor was Sue Stubbs. Formerly a guitarist, Kristin performed with big bands and her own jazz combo in Madison, WI, having studied jazz guitar and theory with Roger Brotherhood in Madison and jazz voice and theory with Hal Melia in Kansas City at UMKC.

Kristin enjoys being active in the performing arts community. She has volunteered with the Chamber Music Society of Kansas City and Charlotte Street Foundation, and has played in the bass section of the Northland Symphony Orchestra, among other bass gigs around the metro. Kristin currently serves as principal bass for the Kansas City Civic Orchestra and Heritage Philharmonic, and is a section bassist for Kinnor Philharmonic. She joined the writing staff of KCMetropolis.org in February 2010 and has been KCM’s executive editor since July 2011. Read her blog at mylittleheartmelodies.com.