Roving Pittsburgher, Diana Krall at PSO Reminiscent of Peggy Lee

Concert Review Diana Krall 

with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

by Good News Reporter, Joanne Quinn-Smith

From the candlelit stage sitting at a grand piano the British Columbia native softly peddled songs that reminded one of a young Peggy Lee.

 

Her opening number, "Just Couldn't Say Goodbye" featured two of her five band members, Stuart Duncan and Guitarist Anthony Wilson.  What talent and such a match to Diana Krall's.

Chris Walden conducted the symphony for Diana's rendition of "Do It Again," what a treat for the audience.

But the piece de resistance of the entire concert was Tom Watts "Temptation" featuring Mr. Duncan, the drummer Kareem Wiggins and even the bass player. Also loved the old movies and clips on the screen behind the symphony, I am sure it was just one more thing to attract and entrance new symphony attendees.

There were other great renditions like "Summer Song,"  "Let's Fall in Love," "Love Letters" and an old standard "The Sunny Side of the Street."  What fun!

For those who remembered the 60's and 70's we were treated to Diana's renditions of "California Dreamin"" and "Operator" by Jim Croce.

Her finale was soulful and haunting, "Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars."  

Truly this was a night of romance even with the early symphony performance of Overture to "Le Nozze Di Figaro" from "The Marriage of Figaro" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and "Sicilienne" from Pelleas et Melisande, Opus 80.

Joanne Quinn-Smith, Award winning internet radio broadcaster, blogger, author and internet radio and TV network editor and publisher. Joanne is the owner and CEO, Creative Energy Officer, of Dreamweaver Marketing Associates, a successful Pittsburgh-based marketing company. Joanne is internationally known as the “Get Your Google On” Gal. But better known as Techno Granny™ to over one million accumulated online listeners worldwide. Joanne has created a revolutionary online NEW MEDIA platform in Internet broadcasting, blogging and other social media participation. JQS is the online publisher of PositivelyPittsburghLiveMagazine.com, an online community magazine to disseminate the Positive News for Positive Pittsburghers. PPL Mag is Pittsburgh’s First Internet radio and TV network with syndicated channels and online radio and TV capabilities. 

Roving Pittsburgher Report - PSO's Joshua Bell and Symphonie Espagnole Performance Feb. 28th 2014

Witnessing Unmatched Musicality
Review of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's
Joshua Bell and Symphonie Espagnole Performance Feb. 28th 2014
From:  Roving Pittsburgher Report and PositivePittsburghLiveMagazine.com
Written By:  Hank Walshak  |  March 1, 2014

Gianandrea Noseda

(photo credit: Sussie Ahlburg 2012)

Something in me likes to watch professionals, whatever their line of work. This personal bent served me well when I witnessed Joshua Bell display his violin artistry and Maestro Gianandrea Noseda masterfully lead our Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in the Symphonie Espagnole for Violin and Orchestra, Opus 21 of Edouard Lalo.

For me, watching Joshua Bell is like viewing a professional tight-rope walker quickly skip along a 60-foot rope hundreds of feet in the air, and doing somersaults on the rope at the same time. This kind of doing the seemingly impossible happens only a few times in one’s life, and Bell’s execution was one of these rare times in my life.

To say, he performed the violin solo, would be to vastly understate his performance. He played through the Symphonie Espagnole as though the notes, the phrasing, the melodies, the movements emerged from somewhere within him, not from Lalo’s score. He played as though born into the music, moving forward to punctuate hard-hitting parts, moving back to elicit the more subdued sections of the piece.

Joshua Bell

(photo courtesy:

Lisa Marie Mazzucco)

Talk about violin prowess. From exploring sonorous tones in the lower register to parts that called on his lyricism and flexibilities to those that challenged with incredibly intricate fingerings in the upper register, Bell moved through the Symphonie Espagnole for Violin and Orchestra with the unerring grace of a male, ballet dancer interpreting the most physical demanding dances without even breaking a sweat.

A brief look, eye to eye now and then, was all Bell and Maestro Noseda as they worked in synchronistic togetherness during the performance. Just as Bell’s body moved in resonance to each symphony part, so too. Noseda physically conveyed his musical intentions to the orchestra by his deft, dance-like movements. He attacked the piece with all the agility he could muster and moved slowly from side to side to convey more lyrical intonations to the orchestra.

Watching Bell and Maestro Noseda was like seeing two, Olympic athletes move in unison as they performed feats of precision one could hardly believe. They complemented each other so nicely without ever once stealing the sunshine away from the other’s performance.

How fortunate for us in the audience to experience these two musical geniuses performing together in a not-to-be-matched rendering of Eduouard Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole for Violin and Orchestra.

Additional Performances:
Saturday, March 1st  |  8 PM  |  Heinz Hall

Sunday, March 2nd  |  2:30 PM  |  Heinz Hall

Written By: Hank Walshak
Founder and President of Walshak Communications, Inc.

The Communications Expert for Experts
www.hankwalshak.com
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Posted By: Stephanie Curtice
Good News and Cultural Reporter
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