Concert Wrap-Up: Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra “Nicholas Namoradze gives Rachmaninoff a delicate and poetic treatment”

The concert opened with a newly composed tone poem by Kelly Marie Murphy entitled Dark Nights, Bright Stars, Vast University — once again appropriate to a night of the full moon. Calgary-trained and now living in Ottawa, Murphy has produced many fine orchestral works. Her music always has a strong rhythmic profile, and this element was very much part of this new work. Particularly impressive here was the sophistication of the orchestral scoring and the elaboration of the engaging thematic material, the programmatic structure of the piece was clear and convincing. Of her many fine works, this was particularly successful, at least on one hearing, even getting a thumbs up from my own highly conservative son, whose tastes stop at Rachmaninoff.

Seated where I was, I had no difficulty hearing the piano, and Namoradze’s account of this famous work, was convincing and enjoyable, most especially in the brilliant coda to the final movement, which built to a tremendous climax. In response to the terrific applause, Namoradze, now fully polished in his stage deportment, provided a rhapsodic account of Granados’s familiar The Maiden and the Nightingale, taking the audience into an inner emotional space, something in which Namoradze excels.

The program concluded with a clear, precisely delivered account of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. Conductor Sarah Ioannides led the CPO with vigour and a thorough engagement with the score. Among the many delights were the expertly rendered solo spots for the first chair players, giving the impression of a high degree of professionalism throughout the ranks. The oriental atmosphere of the work was beautifully captured in a poised and solid performance.

As Annie Glen Broder commented about Rachmaninoff’s solo concert in Calgary, this was a satisfying concert — or, if one prefers the updated version, it was terrific.