Minnesota Symphony concert attendees, Friday and Saturday, March 17-18 are in for a real treat. Guest conductor, Michael Francis runs the string-orchestra sections of our orchestra in a dynamite, varied and enthralling program, from Beethoven’s “Grosse Fuge” and Shostakovich’s “Cello Concerto” to Jessica Montgomery’s modern “Strum,” and concluding with Mozart’s “Symphony number 41,” the Jupiter.
Francis is a fully engaged, lively and intensely focused conductor. He brought out the best in the strings, with the very wide diversity of selections and masterful conducting. Beethoven might have been accused of being on the edge of derangement with this fuge. Its tone ranges from the benign to the rambunctious, interspersed with odd moments of complete silence.
The Cello Concerto is, by turns, lumpy, dark and smooth. Cellist Johannes Moser has a taste for the dramatic which he deftly displayed both in his bowing technique and his dress. This stage presence in no way detracts from Moser’s creative and high-flying musicianship.
Jessica Montgomery created “Strum,” she says in a moment of rehearsal boredom. The short contemporary composition ranges from peaceful contemplation to almost ecstatic dance and ably demonstrates the composer’s, and the orchestra’s range of talent and taste.
Finally, the orchestra, still under the baton of the enthusiastic guest conductor, romped through “the Jupiter,” playing with elan and panache. Altogether a fine way to spend the noon hour or an evening in enjoyment of all the talent displayed on the orchestra hall stage this weekend.
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