Intimate Concertos Enchant:
Steinmetz work seamlessly blends Jazz, Asian, African musical styles 

The Press Democrat, January 19, 2004

SANTA ROSA--- The Santa Rosa Symphony, under music director Jeffrey Kahane, took listeners on a magical mystery tour Saturday night, whisking away the winter doldrums with Czech folk tunes, pounding African drums and a French piano concerto that bubbled over like champagne.

It would be difficult to single out just one work in this eclectic musical stew as a highlight because each contributed its own exotic flavor.

However, John Steinmetz's North Bay premiere of his Concerto for bassoon and orchestra before intermission was an impressive tour de force, and Kahane's romp through Saint-Saens' Piano Concerto No. 2 at the end of the evening provided a climax as elegant as it was exciting.

The program of intimate concertos opened on a magical note with Dvorak's beguiling tone poem "The Noon-Day Witch," a musical retelling of the Czech folk tale about a witch who snatches naughty children away at midday.

With help from the whimsical woodwinds and eerie strings, the orchestra conjured up the characters of this folk tale with exquisite detail, right down to the whining child.

Showcased before intermission, Steinmetz's Concerto for bassoon and orchestra is the composer's personal homage to nature. The work seamlessly blends jazz, Asian and African musical styles into a cohesive whole that sounds fresh and new, yet remains accessible in the best sense of the word.

The work, commissioned by the Santa Rosa Symphony, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Keene Chamber Orchestra, has already received its premiere in Los Angeles and New Hampshire. For its Bay Area premiere, Steinmetz performed the concerto himself for the first time, coaxing a surprisingly mellow tone from his versatile instrument.

Exhibiting impressive lung capacity, Steinmetz kept the bassoon part flowing in the swirling first movement, which ends on a mournful note as the bassoon cries out like an injured whale. That sound has been heard before -- the Paul Winter Consort practically trademarked it -- but in the context of this classical piece, the plaintive cries were surprisingly effective.

Although the second movement meandered a bit, the pace picked up in the finale, which sounded like a Middle Eastern market on a feast day. The concerto is an inspiring new work that instills hope for the future vitality of classical music.

During the second half of the program, Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra conductor Shenyeh took over the podium to lead Honegger's haunting Concerto da Camera, with the solo parts performed by principal flutist Kathleen Lane Reynolds and English horn player Laura Reynolds Chrisp.

Joined on stage by 20 members of the Santa Rosa Symphony Youth Orchestra, Shenyeh and the symphony accompanied the Saint-Saens piano concerto with sensitivity, despite a tentative first entrance.

For his part, Kahane tossed off the Saint-Saens with spark-ling clarity, displaying both classical restraint and a sprink-ling of Romantic bravado.

The second movement was particularly irresistible, with the pianist's rhythmic agility underscoring the witty and mischievous nature of the score.

Kahane and the orchestra chased each other through the tripping triplets of the last movement at a fast clip, ending in a climax that brought the audience to its feet with a roar of approval.

As an encore, Kahane offered up a sweet improvisation on Joni Mitchell's "The Circle Game," which he dedicated to his daughter.

The Santa Rosa Symphony will repeat the Saturday program at 8 tonight at the Burbank Center for the Arts, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. Tickets cost $24-$45. Call 546-8742.