Zhuang Zuo, piano
Program
Robert Muczynski: Galena: A Town - World Premiere
Franz Liszt: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E♭ major
Modest Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition (Ravel)
A rousing, passionate, color-filled program rolled out from the stage inside the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall this last weekend, opening Tucson Symphony Orchestra’s 95th season: a posthumous world premier by the esteemed composer and long time University of Arizona instructor, Robert Muczynski; a lyrical yet fiery Liszt piano concerto with Zee Zee; and Ravel’s ever popular setting of Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.
In a masterly touch, after discovering the oeuvre of musical gems from Robert Muczynski, Maestro José Luis Gomez has taken it upon himself to bring this superbly well-crafted music to the 21st century stage. Galena: A Town, an understated title for a brilliant work, is joyously quintessential Muczynski: clear, almost crystalline sonorities, woven from relatively conventional melodies and rhythms, yet subtly shifting, modally and metrically, as they wend their way through the orchestra. *
Here, tone color--as in even Muczynski’s piano works--plays as important a role as thematic development. Throughout the opening Molto Moderato. TSO’s veteran woodwind virtuosi brought these delicious delicate textures to sublime expression, drawing the listener into Muczynski’s tantalizing cascade of rounded phrases as they grow into and out of each other, only to be interrupted, midway and in closing, by rather strident horn and percussion statements. At this world premier, the opening movement drew a well-deserved ovation! The Andante Moderato took us into deeper emotional territory, dominated by strings in low range proffering darker harmonies, while the ever-present exploration and exhibition of orchestral colors kept working its magic. The Allegro finale showed more of Muczynski’s terse rhythmic and metric mastery. There is enough steady drive here to evoke tapping feet, and such a natural feel that you might not realize you are tapping out some sevens, fives, nines, and elevens! The distinctly momentous push to a climactic conclusion arrives with several dramatic agogic shifts of tempo, instrumentation, and dynamic force. This detailed, thrilling, enthusiastic reading revealed Maestro Gomez' love of the music--of which this world premier was recorded for later release. Muczynski’s painterly palette of sonorities, and intricate, polished musical expressions were delivered authoritatively by the TSO; the players on this team truly emulate their director.
We then warmly welcomed back Zhang “ZZ” Zuo, for the Liszt Piano Concerto #1. And, in the nick of time received--just last week--TSO’s Steinway ‘D’ concert piano, following a complete, inside-and-out rebuild / overhaul. I must say that this reunion of performer and instrument was truly grand! Zee Zee, as we knew from her 2017 TSO rendition of Beethoven’s Second Piano Concerto, is a highly energetic performer of world class technique, brilliant tone, and willingness to summon whatever power the music may require. Liszt’s score vacillates between bold statements, extended yearning melodies, and wild pyrotechnics. Zee Zee’s touch and judgement here were superb throughout; full bore in the strident declarations, with dramatic resets of tempo and emotion for the romantic interludes, and dazzling, “effortless” illumination of Liszt’s man(woman!)-against-the-machine dexterous acrobatics.
The scintillating tones Zee Zee drew from our newly reborn Steinway, and her full body engagement of the instrument in the final minutes of the concerto, will be long remembered as in-the-moment inspired, inspiring, and mesmerizing! Maestro José--a players’ conductor--and his orchestra, comprise an elite accompanist. Zee Zee, especially in the climactic 1st and 3rd movement culminations, with José intently studying her timing and lead, ran full throttle towards those finishes, and the results were spectacular. Bravississimo!
The evening’s second half was heartily consumed by Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition: his long, lugubriously difficult piano montage from 1874, gloriously set for orchestra by Maurice Ravel in 1922; a rightly beloved and celebrated pillar of the modern orchestral repertoire. Drama and intensity are the names of Mussorgsky’s game (if not necessarily Ravel’s) and Maestro José and the Tucson Symphony Orchestra came through with flying, enveloping colours! This iconic orchestration, giving second life to Mussorgsky’s piano monstrosity, somehow reaches beyond Ravel's orchestral arrangements of several of his own piano goliaths. Tight, tough, solo and chamber ensemble episodes fill the score, with tutti forces mostly saved for the opening of the Great Gate of Kiev and the clamoring closing culmination of themes. Not to leave out the many lithe solo and chamber portions of the performance, Concertmaster Loren Roth, principals Hayato Tanaka, trumpet, Melissa Olegario, bassoon, Alexander Lipay, flute, Dario Brignoli, clarinet, Max Adler, oboe, and many others--along with all sections of this Ravel “concerto for orchestra”--contributed to a most dramatic reading of this all-time classic. Maestro Gomez let the fur fly and the hammers fall full force as the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall rang through with brash brass and percussion overtones in the crashing finale--heavy anti-cathartic exhilaration!
Maybe to lighten the mood from Modest’s immodest, picturesque madness, and to end upbeat, José and company jumped back into action for Josef Strauss’ highly spirited ‘Ohne (ha-ha-ha-ha!) Sorgen!’ Polka from 1869. A fitting end to a virtuosic season opening concert. This orchestra and director hit their first mark in full stride. Be back soon. Do not be late!
Steven Gendel
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* I met Robert Muczynski during my graduate piano studies at the University of Arizona School of Music, played several of his piano pieces, and the piano part in one of his orchestral works.
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