| Orpheus Chamber Orchestra with Gil Shaham | | Print | |
| Written by Anna Moyer | |
| Tuesday, 17 April 2007 | |
 I have not been to such a moving and exciting concert in months! The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra is a unique group in that they do not have a formal “conductor.” The orchestra members listen and cue each other. What was also wonderful is they rotated seating for every selection – it was almost like watching a different group every time.
The first selection was the Mendelssohn Sinfonie No. 10 in b for string orchestra– one of my favorites! They were so musical it brought tears to my eyes! Every musician seemed intimately involved with every note, phrase, crescendo, and diminuendo. The audience was captivated by their music in motion. The next selection was a commissioned work for the entire orchestra, Orphic Memories by Ingram Marshall. One of the cellists went to the microphone and explained the different sections of the story of Orpheus while orchestra played little excerpts of the music that went with each part. The music was quite difficult, and I was impressed at their ability to play in all the right places! The tone poem had many special effects and used many new techniques to express the story.
Gil Shaham will be performing one more time in this area. I highly recommend seeing him before he leaves our area for both musicians and non-musicians alike.
Gil Shaham & Friends: Gil Shaham, violin; Michelle DeYoung, mezzo-soprano; Orli Shaham, piano; Adele Anthony, violin; Paul Neubauer, viola; Jian Wang, cello; William Caballero, horn; Ricardo Morales, clarinet on Thursday, April 19, 7:30 pm at Ohef Sholom Temple in Norfolk . Ticket price $45. You can purchase tickets on-line www.vafest.com or call 282-2822 directly for more information. |
The most exciting part of the concert was watching Gil Shaham perform Beethoven’s Concerto in D for violin and orchestra. It was fascinating to see the interaction amongst the soloist and the orchestra members. They seemed to enjoy the performance as much as the audience! Shaham not only played extremely virtuosic passages but lead the orchestra with his grins, one raised eyebrow, and the excitement and intensity of great performers such as Jascha Heifetz and Itzak Perlman. I spoke with some non-musicians, and they were not only aware of the fantastic music but of the non-verbal conversation. The audience was so engaged and uplifted by the performance – people left HAPPY!
Cancel all plans for tomorrow night – the concert will be worth it! 