A Passionate Valentine from the Canton Symphony Orchestra
By Tom Wachunas
Among the special features of the Canton
Symphony’s February 14 Valentine’s Day-themed concert at Umstattd Performing
Arts Hall was the return of Canton native son, violinist William Shaub. He
began his violin studies at age 3, became a member of the Canton Symphony
Orchestra (CSO) at 16, studied further as a scholarship student at the
Cleveland Institute of Music, and is currently a scholarship student at
Julliard School. Through it all he has been steadily building an impressive
track record as a soloist throughout the United States.
On this occasion
he regaled us with what could appropriately be called impassioned love notes of
the highest order. Based on his thrilling performances of Fritz Kreisler’s Praeludium and Allegro, and Pablo de
Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs), I
hope it’s only a matter of time, the shorter the better, before the rest of the
world is blessed by his giftedness.
Shaub plays a
violin made in 1865 (by Jean-Baptiste Vuilliame), and in hearing its unusual
depth and warmth, there was an uncanny sensation that he was drawing out and
communing with all the music that has ever imprinted itself on its mellowed
grains. His unquestionable virtuosity was especially bedazzling in his
effortless and witty grasp of the brisk, challenging Sarasate work. As if to
deftly cool a musical wildfire that left the audience in slack-jawed amazement,
Shaub’s encore performance of Kreisler’s Liebesleid
was nonetheless an exciting and flawless rendering of the work’s lilting, bittersweet
portrayal of heartbreak over love lost.
The sheer passion
evident in that encore was a fitting mood-setter for the orchestra’s performance
of Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet
Overture Fantasy. Here was the CSO at its most commanding and emotionally
articulate. From the rapturous soaring of the music’s famous love theme, and
through to the thunderous, anguished lament over the society unsympathetic to
the story’s ill-fated lovers, the ensemble delivered not just breathtaking
music, but a gripping event.
The remainder of
the program - consisting of Carmen Suite by
Georges Bizet, and Danzón No.2 by
Arturo Márquez – was equally eventful. Members of the Canton Youth Symphony
Advanced Orchestra, 42-strong, played side-by-side with the CSO ensemble. The
resulting sound was understandably large, stirring, and more importantly,
seamless. This was certainly a delightful testament to the high caliber of
playing by these youthful artists-in-training, under the direction of Rachel L.
Waddell. She’s both the CSO Associate Director and Music Director of the Youth
Symphony. Here she conducted the Carmen
Suite, delivering a crisp and spirited
reading that clearly sparked the ensembles’ unified embrace of the music’s
captivating charm.
Returning to the podium to conduct the
electrifying Márquez piece, Maestro Gerhardt Zimmermann addressed the audience,
acknowledging the remarkable talents of the Youth Symphony as well as all the
music educators present in the audience. His eloquent comments were both
heartfelt and cautionary as he expressed concern over the limited if not
diminishing presence of music and arts curricula in our public schools. He
observed that undervaluing or eliminating music education, or relegating it to
peripheral extracurricular status, was tantamount to leaving us a future
without our souls. Then Zimmermann led the combined ensembles on a rhythmically
lush and ebullient jaunt. It ended when, on the final foot-stomping note of the
music, all the players rose at once from their seats - an exhilarating call to
attention if ever there was one.
So speaking of souls, Mr. Zimmermann, Heaven called
– again - and wants to talk to you about getting its orchestra back. Put your
foot down, stand your ground, and keep ‘em on hold, Maestro.
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