"...strings, strings, strings..."
Cincinnati Enquirer contributor John K. Toedtman found much to like in Paavo and the CSO's Saturday night concert at Music Hall, Flute-harp duet shines for CSO (January 31, 2005):
"Coming off of a wildly successful trip to Carnegie Hall in New York, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Paavo Jarvi sounded positively energized back at its nearly full home hall Saturday evening.
"...Mozart wrote his Concerto in C Major for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra, K 299 in Paris for a pair of amateurs, but it is a little gem. Flute and harp would seem to be an 'odd couple,' but the marriage of these two instruments works amazingly well thanks to Mozart's genius.
"CSO flutist Randolph Bowman displayed superb dynamic range and tonal control and CSO harpist Gillian Benet Sella absolutely bewitches her harp into doing magical things.
"The brilliant dialogue in the first movement between flute and harp integrated well with the sounds of the smaller, chamber-sized orchestra on stage.
"The second movement has a beautiful variegated part for the harp and so angelic was Sella's playing one might think she had wings on.
"The third movement of the Concerto is very Viennese, elegant and frothy. With such fine soloists as part of the CSO it is no wonder our orchestra has garnered high praise in Europe and in New York.
"...After intermission, the Beethoven Symphony No. 2 in D Major brought a warm glow to Music Hall. Beethoven composed this symphony while spending six months in the small town of Heiligenstadt, trying to come to terms with his terrifying deafness.
"...It is probably the most optimistic and good-natured of the nine symphonies and demonstrated aptly the CSO's warm 'Philadelphia' string sound that Maestro Jarvi has developed during his tenure here.
"...It seems that Maestro Jarvi has the magic formula for the new Cincinnati sound and it is strings, strings, strings."
"Coming off of a wildly successful trip to Carnegie Hall in New York, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Paavo Jarvi sounded positively energized back at its nearly full home hall Saturday evening.
"...Mozart wrote his Concerto in C Major for Flute, Harp, and Orchestra, K 299 in Paris for a pair of amateurs, but it is a little gem. Flute and harp would seem to be an 'odd couple,' but the marriage of these two instruments works amazingly well thanks to Mozart's genius.
"CSO flutist Randolph Bowman displayed superb dynamic range and tonal control and CSO harpist Gillian Benet Sella absolutely bewitches her harp into doing magical things.
"The brilliant dialogue in the first movement between flute and harp integrated well with the sounds of the smaller, chamber-sized orchestra on stage.
"The second movement has a beautiful variegated part for the harp and so angelic was Sella's playing one might think she had wings on.
"The third movement of the Concerto is very Viennese, elegant and frothy. With such fine soloists as part of the CSO it is no wonder our orchestra has garnered high praise in Europe and in New York.
"...After intermission, the Beethoven Symphony No. 2 in D Major brought a warm glow to Music Hall. Beethoven composed this symphony while spending six months in the small town of Heiligenstadt, trying to come to terms with his terrifying deafness.
"...It is probably the most optimistic and good-natured of the nine symphonies and demonstrated aptly the CSO's warm 'Philadelphia' string sound that Maestro Jarvi has developed during his tenure here.
"...It seems that Maestro Jarvi has the magic formula for the new Cincinnati sound and it is strings, strings, strings."
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