“Tango Rhythms and Latin Dances” was the theme of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic’s Masterworks concert on Saturday in the Purdue-Fort Wayne Music Center. Andrew Constantine conducted the orchestra in colorful and exciting music by Alberto Ginastera, J.P. Jofre, Astor Piazzolla, and Manuel de Falla. Johanna Bourkova-Morunov was concertmaster for this concert.
The concert began with the popular four dances from the ballet score “Estancia” (premiered in 1952) by the Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983). The dances were actually written separately in 1941 as a suite; the music was later incorporated into a one act ballet. His work is actually similar to Aaron Copland’s ballet “Rodeo,” which involves
cowboys and takes place on an American ranch, while “Estancia” involves gauchos on an Argentine ranch.
The first dance, “Farm Workers,” deals with the challenges the gauchos face in their daily work. The performance was very rhythmic with a variety of percussion providing important accents to this syncopated piece. The brass section was strong and the strings played lushly. There was relentless energy.
The second dance, “Wheat Dance,” is a slow and sustained tranquil piece. Highlights included a poignant flute solo, some pizzicato string playing, and piano augmentation. Yana Morunov had a very lyric solo, played with great feeling and intensity.
The third dance has two sections, “The peons of the hacienda” and “Entrance of the cattlemen,” and it is especially energetic and syncopated. The trumpets and timpani are featured in this music. It is very agitated and dissonant piece that is intense and intimidating. The music was dominated initially by the cellos and basses with the violins and violas finally joining in.
The fourth dance, “Malambo,” is exceptionally dazzling and emotionally exhausting. This incredible piece is quite intense with some pizzicato in the strings alternating with lyrical passages. This piece was dazzling with abundant percussion, especially the xylophone and bass drum.
J.P. Jofre is the professional name of Juan Pablo Jofre Romarion (born 1983), an Argentine musician, composer, and arranger. He is particularly known for his work with the bandoneon, a concertina that is popular in South America and is particularly challenging for the performer. Jofre was soloist in both his own “Double Concerto No. 1 for Violin and Bandoneon” and Astor Piazzolla’s “Aconcagua, Concerto for Bandoneon.”
Jofre’s double concerto, which is the first to combine violin and bandoneon soloists, featured Philharmonic concertmaster Violetta Todorova. The three-movement work was composed in 2016 and 2017 at the request of Belgian violinist Michael Guttman (born 1957). Jofre and Guttman were soloists with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in the 2018 world premiere recording.
The Philharmonic performance of the double concerto used special miking for the soloists. Todorova, who only played in this challenging work, wore a very colorful sequined dress that was short in front and long in the back.
Dressed in a dark suit, Jofre began with a solo that was slow and sustained. In both of the concertos, Jofre placed his right foot on a speaker, then balanced the bandoneon on his right knee while using hand straps. He was joined by Todorova in a duet that was a musical dialogue. The music became more animated and the orchestra entered. There was a clear contrast between the violin and the bandoneon. Joffre played from memory with great feeling and intensity. Todorova had a solo that was more lyrical and passionate. The music became a virtual love song. The slower passages gave way to faster and more intense playing.
The second movement again included a slow, legato passage by Jofre. There was a sustained bass line on the bandoneon with higher notes providing contrast. Todorova soon joined Jofre. The orchestra joined the soloist in yet another love song. There was a section in which the orchestra played without the soloists. Soon the violin returned with high and sustained lines, followed by Jofre joining Todorova in agitated and troubling musical comments. This gave way to more lyricism by the soloists.
In the third movement, Todorova began with a violin solo that was dazzling and searching, soon joined by Jofre in the musical quest. The orchestra joined them in this puzzling passage. The music was very showy and strong. There was a slow bandoneon solo that was followed by a lyrical violin solo. Jofre and the orchestra joined Todorova in music that grew in intensity and featured musical fireworks. The audience gave them a standing ovation.
Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. He is particularly known for a number of film scores, as well as concert works. Piazzolla wrote his bandoneon concerto in 1979. The work is in three movement.
The Piazzolla concerto began with energetic playing by Jofre and the orchestra. The strings were lyrical in contrast to the animated solos, which were played with great feeling and intensity. A slower section was more contemplative and poignant. There was similarity in this music to some of the works of the Brazilian master Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959), who also wrote with great emotion. This movement ended with great energy.
The second movement was slower, with solo playing in a tragic and sad mood, much as Piazzolla’s famous tangos. There were very fine solos by Morunov on violin, Anne Preucil Lewellen on harp, and Andre Gaskins on cello, who were then joined by the full orchestra in mostly lyrical playing. Jofre played a mixture of staccato and sustained notes against lush string playing.
The third movement began with animated playing by the orchestra, quickly joined by Jofre. This was more upbeat and even joyous music that still had its share of emotion. There was some pizzicato in the strings with the piano accenting the music. It definitely had dance like qualities. The strings seem to slash their bows, then they built intensity, taking on march-like qualities.
The final work on the program was the second concert suite that the Spanish composer Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) drew from his 1919 ballet score “The Three-Cornered Hat.” The ballet was commissioned by the famous impresario Sergei Diaghilev (1872-1929) for his Paris-based Ballets Russes. Falla left Spain during the Spanish Civil War
and spent the rest of his life in Argentina.
The humorous storyline depicts a faithful miller’s wife whom a local magistrate attempts to seduce. The magistrate’s efforts are ultimately doomed as a series of plot twists happen; he is fully humiliated in the end. The ballet is notable for including Spanish dances rather than traditional classic numbers. The ballet suite includes “The Neighbors,” “Miller’s Dance,” and “Final Dance.
“The Neighbors” was played in a moderate tempo with charm and a bit of humor. It was quite delightful and filled with traditional Spanish melodies. It is richly orchestrated with emphasis on strings and some innovative use of the winds and brass. This was performed with great precision and feeling.
“Miller’s Dance” is notable for its use of French horns and the bassoon. They are joined by the strings and some percussion. There was a certain mischief and intimidation, probably reflecting on the miller’s plans for revenge against the scheming magistrate who desires his wife. Falla uses flamenco qualities in this music and the performance was quite impressive.
“Final Dance” was triumphant and joyous with the use of syncopation and general rhythmic vitality. The Philharmonic brass players were excellent in providing contrast to the strings, winds, and percussion. All gave top notch performances. The performance effectively captured the spirit and heritage of Spain in its “glorious days.” As the music builds, Falla brings in the castanets to provide additional color and intensity. It was clearly a triumphant performance.
Due to the Philharmonic’s “Holiday Pops” concerts, “Messiah” performances, and participation in the Fort Wayne Ballet’s “Nutcracker,” all in December, the next Philharmonic Masterworks concert will be on January 19 at 7:30 p.m. at Purdue Fort Wayne, featuring works by Jean Sibelius and Dmitri Shostakovich.