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Rating: Concert September 6, 2009
Basilica SS. Medici Cosma e Damiano- Alberobello
For the fourth concert of the “Carl Orff Music Festival” directed by maestros Amatulli and Flaksman, there is an audience for the grand occasions: the Church of SS. Medici Cosma e Damiano is packed.
There is much anticipation to listen to the Korean Chamber Orchestra returning to Italy after almost 10 years, led by Maestro Min Kim, who has been its First Violin and Director since 1979.
The program includes in the first part a tribute to Italian music with Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741) and his "Concerto in G major F. IV/1 for 2 violins, 2 cellos and strings". Performing it are the soloists: Jee-Youn Park and Vlad Stanculeasa on violins, and Joo-Shim Kim and Michael Flaksman on cellos. Following, by Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936), is "Ancient Airs and Dances for Lute, Suite III for strings".
In the second part, the tribute is to Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847) for the 200th anniversary of his birth; the "Concerto in D minor for violin and piano", (violin Friedemann Eichhorn, piano José Gallardo) and the "Symphony No. 10 in B minor for strings" will be performed.
The opening of the concert is brilliant, the music of Vivaldi, despite the not-so-great acoustics of the Basilica, is delivered to the audience with great vitality and attention to sound in a lively and crystalline interpretation during the virtuosic passages; elegant and devoid of unnecessary romanticism in the cantabile sections; the solo interpretations are of high level, at times thrilling. It's a pity that the realization of the basso continuo was left to the cello alone, as the inclusion of the harpsichord would have been a valuable addition to a very commendable performance welcomed with great approval by the audience.
In Respighi, the orchestra expresses itself at its best, and Maestro Min Kim skillfully leads it through the numerous tempo changes, demonstrating the considerable harmony of the group and expressing a remarkable dynamic and a very effective musicological interpretation.
The double concerto by Mendelssohn (composed at the age of only 14) is a composition that is usually rarely performed but intense and fascinating, with a strong Beethovenian influence yet with writing that still hints at what will become the mature Mendelssohn.
The soloists Friedemann Eichhorn and José Gallardo interpret the score with extreme stylistic refinement; they are luminous and cohesive in the numerous solo moments (without the orchestra), captivating and fascinating the audience well supported by the always rigorous and participative orchestra in the ensembles.
At the conclusion of the concert, Mendelssohn's "Symphony No. 10 in B minor for strings" was performed. Conceived in the same year as the double concerto, it opens with an introductory adagio full of pathetic inflections, while the main themes of the subsequent allegro are quite restless, rather unusual characteristics in the production of the young composer at that time.
The Korean Chamber Orchestra, in this case as well, is perfect in the execution, rendering the music emotional, full of pathos, rich with strong hues of inspiration, exhibiting all the class that one would expect from an ensemble of such caliber.
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