Contra Costa Wind Symphony: Concert Review

CONTRA COSTA TIMES - TimeOut

MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2002

Composer's Piece Does Diablo Proud

By Georgia Rowe
TIMES CORRESPONDENT

MOUNT DIABLO is the East Bay's highest point, and "Mount. Diablo: A Symphonic Portrait" was the high point of a terrific concert by the Contra Costa Wind Symphony Saturday evening at the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek.

The new orchestral work by Cincinnati-based composer Steven Reineke received its world premiere at Saturday's concert, which also marked the Wind Symphony's 20th anniversary. Commissioned by the ensemble under the direction of Duane Carroll, Reineke's composition was inspired by, and named for, Mount Diablo, and a near capacity crowd packed the center's Hofmann Theatre to hear the composer conduct its first performance.

Reineke, who is the principal composer/arranger of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, made splendid use of Carroll's 73 piece band. Written in four short movements, his 20 minute symphonic portrait is dynamically structured and attractively scored to evoke the colors, legends and natural environment of the mountain.

A beguiling solo for alto flute introduces the first movement, "Ascension and Eagle Flight," which gives a kind of majestic sonic overview from Diablo's summit. "Spirit of the Ancients" features saxophone and harp in a movement that pays tribute to the Miwok Indians who first inhabited the mountain.

The composer interjects a note of levity in "Arachnia," a movement devoted to the mating habits of the tarantula. Although Reineke's program notes probably told the audience more than they wanted to know about the hirsute spiders' gruesome male female relations, the music is delightful. A jaunty theme representing tarantulas on the prowl launches a dancelike episode, which the orchestra played with consummate flair.

The finale, "Creation of the Sun," draws on the native American myth of Too-Le-Loo a whitefooted mouse that stole fire and inadvertently created the sun. This is Reineke's most exuberant and characterful music and under his direction, it brought "Mount Diablo" to a dramatic coda.

Prior to the premiere, Reineke, who will donate a portion of proceeds of the work's future performances to the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association, presented a framed page from the original score to representatives of Mount Diablo State Park. It will be placed on permanent display in the museum at the mountain's summit.

Two additional pieces by Reineke were featured during Saturday's concert. After intermission, the composer led an engaging performance of his own setting of "Casey at the Bat." Bill Jasper, the president of Dolby Labs and a clarinetist with the Wind Symphony, served as narrator, delivering Ernest Thayer's great 1882 baseball poem with obvious gusto.

In the first half, Carroll conducted Reineke's fanfare "Rise of the Firebird," which was commissioned by the Cincinnati Symphony to commemorate conductor Erich Kunzel's 35th anniversary with the orchestra.

Carroll also conducted the West Coast premiere of Frigyes Hidas' lovely Oboe Concerto No. 2. with Eva Langfeldt as soloist. Carl Wittrock's "Tignale" and Jan van der Roost's "Puszta" rounded out the program.


		Concert Review





	CONTRA COSTA TIMES - TimeOut MONDAY, APRIL 29, 2002 Composer's Piece Does Diablo Proud By Georgia Rowe TIMES CORRESPONDENT MOUNT DIABLO is the East Bay's highest point, and "Mount. Diablo: A Symphonic Portrait" was the high point of a terrific concert by the Contra Costa Wind Symphony Saturday evening at the Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. The new orchestral work by Cincinnati-based composer Steven Reineke received its world premiere at Saturday's concert, which also marked the Wind Symphony's 20th anniversary. Commissioned by the ensemble under the direction of Duane Carroll, Reineke's composition was inspired by, and named for, Mount Diablo, and a near capacity crowd packed the center's Hofmann Theatre to hear the composer conduct its first performance. Reineke, who is the principal composer/arranger of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, made splendid use of Carroll's 73 piece band. Written in four short movements, his 20 minute symphonic portrait is dynamically structured and attractively scored to evoke the colors, legends and natural environment of the mountain. A beguiling solo for alto flute introduces the first movement, "Ascension and Eagle Flight," which gives a kind of majestic sonic overview from Diablo's summit. "Spirit of the Ancients" features saxophone and harp in a movement that pays tribute to the Miwok Indians who first inhabited the mountain. The composer interjects a note of levity in "Arachnia," a movement devoted to the mating habits of the tarantula. Although Reineke's program notes probably told the audience more than they wanted to know about the hirsute spiders' gruesome male female relations, the music is delightful. A jaunty theme representing tarantulas on the prowl launches a dancelike episode, which the orchestra played with consummate flair. The finale, "Creation of the Sun," draws on the native American myth of Too-Le-Loo a whitefooted mouse that stole fire and inadvertently created the sun. This is Reineke's most exuberant and characterful music and under his direction, it brought "Mount Diablo" to a dramatic coda. Prior to the premiere, Reineke, who will donate a portion of proceeds of the work's future performances to the Mount Diablo Interpretive Association, presented a framed page from the original score to representatives of Mount Diablo State Park. It will be placed on permanent display in the museum at the mountain's summit. Two additional pieces by Reineke were featured during Saturday's concert. After intermission, the composer led an engaging performance of his own setting of "Casey at the Bat." Bill Jasper, the president of Dolby Labs and a clarinetist with the Wind Symphony, served as narrator, delivering Ernest Thayer's great 1882 baseball poem with obvious gusto. In the first half, Carroll conducted Reineke's fanfare "Rise of the Firebird," which was commissioned by the Cincinnati Symphony to commemorate conductor Erich Kunzel's 35th anniversary with the orchestra. Carroll also conducted the West Coast premiere of Frigyes Hidas' lovely Oboe Concerto No. 2. with Eva Langfeldt as soloist. Carl Wittrock's "Tignale" and Jan van der Roost's "Puszta" rounded out the program.
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