Weekend Delight

San Juan Symphony performed Sunday afternoon at Fort Lewis

by Bryant Liggett
Special to the Herald

Nov. 25, 2008 - Professional musician Danny Barnes states on his Web site that a region's music scene is vibrant if it includes a symphony. That's good news for our area, home to the San Juan Symphony, which delighted a packed house Sunday afternoon with a two-hour concert titled "New Wine: Same Bottle" at the Community Concert Hall at Fort Lewis College.

The 40-plus person symphony, led by music director Arthur Post, played music by Mozart, Georges Bizet, Toru Takemitsu and James P. Johnson. The program was diverse and sounded fantastic in a performance space that's a fine setting for a symphony.

Mozart's "Symphony No. 36 in C major" started the concert and was everything you would expect in a classical music performance.

Flowing, moving and majestic, the music was dramatic and grand.

The second piece was "Carillon and Farandole from L'Arlesienn" by Georges Bizet, which included what the symphony refers to as "side by side."

The symphony was joined by a group of young musicians, making the stage look something like a bring-your-kid-musician-to-work day.

Here the San Juan Symphony is ensuring quality music in the organization for years to come. The addition of the young musicians was fabulous.

The second half of the performance began with a piece by 20th century Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu titled "Toward the Sea II."

Post said the composer looked at music as "clouds moving in the sky," and that description was dead on.

The quiet piece was decidedly different from the first part of the concert, and this difficult piece of music was effective for precisely that reason.

It featured soloists Rochelle Mann playing alto flute and Rosalind Simpson playing harp.

Post saved a fun piece of music for last, performing 20th century composer James P. Johnson's "Harlem Symphony."

Additional musicians came onstage armed with trumpets and trombones for what was part big swing band and part classical.

The section called "The Night Club" was a lively number within a huge composition that drips of 1920s New York City.

Post is now seven years into his work as music director of the symphony, and he's comfortable in his role.

The background information he gave on the lesser known composers was a great addition to four perfectly played pieces of music.

Bryant Liggett is a freelance writer and program director of KDUR.

http://durangoherald.com/sections/A&E/2008/11/25/Weekend_Delight/