Orchestra inspires, shines and stimulates

Joe Augustine was a graceful presence in the second half.
By ROBERT ROLLIN
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Saturday evening's Packard Music Hall Warren Philharmonic Orchestra concert was an entertaining musical potpourri that made for a delightful evening.
The orchestra and conductor Susan Davenny Wyner were in fine form and highlighted the evening with a stimulating and inspired performance of Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov's imaginative perennial audience favorite, Scheherazade, Opus 35.
The brilliant four-movement symphonic suite is a substantial composition more than 40 minutes long, filled with attractive themes freely depicting the Thousand and One Tales of the Arabian Nights concocted by Scheherazade, the Sultan's wife, who each night must leave him entranced in a story so that he does not execute her the next morning. Rimsky-Korsakov wrote a host of wonderful themes that are similarly designed to charm the audience.
Solo treatment
He also wrote the book on late 19th-century orchestration, with his groundbreaking soloistic treatment mixed with full textures looking forward to the ballets of his student, Igor Stravinky.
The first movement was highly dramatic. From the opening unison theme it was clear this was to be an intensely strong performance. The second introductory theme, recurring throughout the entire piece, has the violin and harp symbolizing Scheherazade's the intricate story-weaving.
Davenny Wyner not only maintained intensity, but also kept the imitative secondary lines crystal clear. The low brass was excellent in punctuating the intermittent tuttis.
The second movement opening theme is a haunting Russian tune. As in the first movement individual solos inserted themselves beautifully into the texture.
Highlights
Principal Oboist Elise Belk was especially expressive in her solo. A colorful fanfare-like theme tossed about by lively brass was followed by an inspired and flawless solo by Principal Clarinettist Robert Fitzer. All the woodwind and string solos were attractive and well-paced, and the closing climactic tutti, gorgeous.
The third-movement ingratiating themes were lovely, especially in the versions played by clarinet and oboe solo. A particularly colorful moment took place when the horns cleanly delineated an intricate rhythmic accompaniment figure against the prevailing texture. The fourth movement was appropriately fragmentary-yet-energetic.
The scoring is especially masterful here, and the Warren Philharmonic simply played its heart out, with Davenny Wyner helping to bring out the drama and shading of this transparent orchestration.
Joe Augustine, his talented trio, and singer Helen Welsh headlined the second half. Most attractive were Augustine's own compositions, which he played gracefully and cleanly.
"On This Special Day" premiered Augustine's new vocal for the piece and had lovely harmony and phrasing. Welsh sang expressively, and Augustine tastefully inserted short piano comments in imaginative contrapuntal treatment.
This was perhaps the most original moment of the second half. Augustine's "Liberty" was also attractive and quoted snippets from "America" and "Bridge over Troubled Waters."
The quick changes in his pieces that quoted Mancini, and Tin Pan Alley composers were amusing.