Canton Symphony Casual Series Opens with Bass-ic Virtuosity
By Tom Wachunas
Among the more
delightful inventions of human creativity is the string section of an
orchestra. Think of it as the aural equivalent of a painter’s palette laid out
with a full spectrum of pigments. Just as certain hues (singly or in
combination) can conjure certain subjective responses from viewers, so too the
timbres of particular stringed instruments are well-suited to elicit specific
emotional states or images in the listener.
I tell you this in a spirit of surprise at
the opening concert of this season’s Canton Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Casual Series . These are informal, recital-style
performances in Cable Recital Hall, spotlighting members of the CSO. The
January 9 concert featured CSO Principal Bassist Cory Palmer along with guest pianist
Katherine Monsour Barley. The eclectic program included the Baroque-era Sonata
in g minor by Henry Eccles; four short, early 20th century pieces by
Serge Koussevitzky; four more short works for solo bass by contemporary
composer Dave Anderson; and Elegy and
Tarantella by Giovanni Bottesini,
often remembered as “the Paganini of the double bass.”
Throughout the
proceedings, the accompaniments by pianist Katherine Monsour Barley (a founding
teacher at Pittsburgh Music Academy where she has taught since its beginnings
in 1996) were lovely, articulate and acoustically well-balanced with Palmer’s
bass work.
The particular
program selections are not largely memorable as especially powerful works of
music. On the other hand, they are in varying degrees compelling platforms for
technical prowess on the part of the bassist, and Palmer rose to the occasion
with admirable virtuosity.
And herein was the
aforementioned element of surprise. After all, it seems counterintuitive to
coax truly high notes (such as we reasonably expect from the violin or viola)
from an instrument designed for delivering very low, rumbling sonority. But
this program was amply endowed with demands to do just that. Palmer was wholly
riveting as he employed a formidable arsenal of dexterous slides and crisp
arpeggiations that took him into seemingly impossible high registers.
Granted, there
were occasional passages in those upper ranges when true pitch floundered
momentarily. But such flaws never obscured the overall sensibility of the
sustained mood, whether slow and mournful, sweetly plaintive, or spritely and
joyous.
I admit to finding
something somewhat funny about the whole idea of this kind of animated music
performed on the heavy, lumbering bass, even in its most solemn progressions.
There were moments throughout the performance, after Palmer had finessed an
intricate foray into ringing high tones, when I detected the glimmer of a smile
on his face. Maybe he sensed the humor, too.
As this concert reminded me, what could be more poignant or stirring
than to imagine the walrus successfully aspiring to birdsong?
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