“The gods of resonance”

SO GREAT WAS THE EXCITEMENT over the inaugural performance

in Skidmore’s new Helen Filene Ladd Concert Hall that hundreds of music fans poured into the Zankel Center well before the preconcert panel discussion, to be sure of getting a seat. They were eager to bear witness as the Ensemble ACJW, in the words of Skid - more music chair Tom Denny, “offered up their sounds to the gods of resonance.” From the first crisp notes and lush chords, it was

clear that the gods were pleased. ACJW violinist Owen Dalby had earlier told news reporters that the

“AS GOOD AS IT

WAS IN REHEARSAL, IT WAS EVEN BETTER WITH THE HOUSE FULL.”

hall was “phenomenal—almost like another member of the ensemble.” He later added, “As good as it was in rehearsal, it was even better with the house full.” Prokofiev’s Quintet in G Minor, Op. 39, featured the unusual combi- nation of oboe, clarinet, violin, viola, and double bass in a six-move- ment work of great tonal complexity. It was followed by David Bruce’s 2008 Gumboots for string quartet and clarinet, the latter masterfully played by Sarah Beaty. Drawing on the experience of black prisoners working in the mines during apartheid in South Africa, it opened with a tone of peaceful yearning, followed by increasingly animated and up- lifting dances. The audience responded with a standing ovation, and composer and musicians sent the love right back with their own

22 SCOPE SPRING 2010

smiles and applause. Opening Shostakovich’s Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 67, cellist Nicholas Canellakis’s harmonics shimmered plaintively through the hall, setting a haunting tone. The third movement’s passacaglia was appropriately funereal—the composer was griev- ing the loss of his best friend and the revelations of recently liberated Nazi death camps—leading to a final demonic dance. The work held great mean- ing for pianist Angelina Gadeliya, from the

Ukraine, who talked about its use of Jewish melodies during the pre- concert discussion. The Schenectady Gazette review declared the hall “visually stun- ning,” its acoustics “live” with a sound that was “warm and bright.” From a balcony seat, Albany’s Times-Union critic found that “moments in every piece showed the hall to have extraordinary acoustics.” But the strongest reviews came from those on stage. Violinist Dalby de- scribed the concert as “one of those magical confluences of factors that turn a great experience into a truly extraordinary one: roof-raising repertoire, palpable good vibes from a packed house, a common feel for both the historic occasion and the honor of being the first to per- form on a new stage, and of course the absolutely remarkable

acoustics.” —KG

MARK BOLLES Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64