TOP TEN CONCERTS OF THE DECADE

Critic weighs in with most memorable concerts, 2000-2009.

By George Warren - December 29, 2009

Over the last decade, I have written critical reviews of most of the classical concerts in Fresno as the music critic at the Fresno Bee. Of the hundreds of performances I have attended, there are many that were memorable, and a few that stand out as monuments to musical life in the city. In reflecting on the last ten years of concerts in Fresno, I thought about whether there were ten that held meaning over the time since they were presented.

The following list has been compiled from memory, and then from a quick look through my files to check dates and to ensure that a memorable concert did not simply escape me at the time of writing. In the subjective opinion of the music critic, these are the ten most important, memorable, and life-affirming concerts of the past ten years. [I have not included performances of my own music (Fresno Philharmonic, May 2004; Bonner Auditorium, March 2008, e.g.); I am not an objective observer of those concerts!]

1. Radu Lupu, pianist, presented by the Lorenz keyboard concerts, February 2004. Above all other concerts, this one changed my view of how music should be presented. This was not a great show; it was more like a historical event. Lupu played as though he learned the music with the composers sitting right next to him. His technique was not perfect, his presentation was understated, and his appearance was practically haggard. He played Schumann's Kreisleriana and Schubert's B flat major sonata. He was interrupted by at least one cell phone in the audience. But he maintained his purpose without distraction--just deliver the musical idea, flaws and all, and let the feeling out of the instrument raw and unaffected with personal style. This was the first time that I thought about a performance as possibly being better than perfect. Maybe musical performance can be primarily about expression, human experience, memory, and emotion rather than being about technique, skill, and perfection. This concert certainly made that case.

2. Theodore Kuchar, Fresno Philharmonic, Shostakovich Symphony No. 11, March, 2001. During the 2000-2001 season, the philharmonic had seven conductors audition following the disastrous exit of Raymond Harvey. Kuchar did something with this orchestra that had not been done in recent years (at that time), if ever; he launched a massive work that required sustained focus and patience from the musicians for over an hour. The vision for the large scale structure required rehearsal, to be sure, but the achievement in live performance required the immediate interaction of conductor and orchestra, discipline from both not to lose the focus or let the energy build too soon, and the gradual elevating of energy, as in a marathon, so the players had enough power for the fourth movement to drive home the climax. Here was another match of performer and composer where it felt like Kuchar had consulted with Shostakovich concerning how to deliver the true character of the music.

3. Joshua Bell with the Fresno Philharmonic, November 2007. I recall that Bell played something ordinary (in terms of selection, not quality), like the Mendelssohn violin concerto. It didn't really matter which concerto he played, it was the tone of his instrument. In this decade, Fresno has been treated to many of the most famous violinists of the time including Perlman, Chang, and Midori. Bell stands out from all of them with that bell-like tone in all areas of the instrument, from the lowest notes on the G string to the highest registers--every note sounds sweet, warm, and full of meaning. Here is a musician who does a favor to the composer by making the music sound better than it does at the hands of other musicians.

4. Haochen Zhang, pianist, presented by the Lorenz concerts, October 2009. 17 years old, winner of the Van Cliburn Gold Medal in 2009. This musician, like Joshua Bell, has it all: complete command of the technical aspects of playing the instrument, magnificent tone and compelling expression. Even better, he played a recent work by Mason Bates, a tour de force of Gershwin-like pianism composed without the limits of harmony. Zhang displayed a wide array of stylistic mastery, and his program was entirely compelling from the beginning to the end.

5. Andreas Werz, with Orpheus, performing Messiaen and Chopin, May 2007. Who knew that Fresno has a resident pianist capable of such incredible virtuosity? On this magical night (not covered by the Fresno Bee), Werz played on a piano that is very nice, but not a concert grand (Yamaha, 7' grand?), and he found the end of the instrument. The piano simply could not meet the demands of the musician--the low strings are simply not big enough to deliver the power coming from the keys. With the work of both composers, Werz played as though he had three hands. The technical display mesmerized the listener. One scherzo by Chopin would tax the strength of a lesser pianist, but Werz played two (C# minor and B flat minor). Then he played Messiaen's "Oiseaux exotiques" with the chamber orchestra. Messiaen requires true musical understanding and vision to pull off. There is too much unresolved dissonance in his music to just play the notes. Messiaen must sound sweet, most of the time, and Werz struck exactly the right tone throughout. Moreover, when the music stretched out from the quiet tone clusters to a far more roiling texture, Werz had all the tools to manage the fast, wide, and detailed demands of the score.

6. Lang Lang, pianist, Fresno Philharmonic, April 2002. Before he achieved rock-star status, Lang Lang appeared in Fresno at the age of 19 and stamped his name and image on the minds of the audience with his command of Tchaikovsky's B flat minor piano concerto. In my mind, the visual image of his pounding out the initial chords with full force will never leave. Lang Lang brought a swagger to his performance that made the old music seem new and exciting in a way only the young can achieve, as if he were saying, "This is my music, and once you hear it, you will love it too."

7. Jose Carreras, presented by the Fresno Grand Opera, May 2002. Carreras beat Placido Domingo because no amplification was used in the concert at Saroyan Theatre. Carreras appearance in Fresno was memorable for the understatement of the presentation, just piano and singer, the unadulterated tone of his voice, and the absolute pleasure of hearing an unparalleled vocal instrument without the distraction of props, a story, and orchestra, acting, or other adornments.

8. Verdi's Requiem, Fresno Philharmonic and combined choirs from Fresno State, Fresno City College, and the Fresno Community Chorus, April 2006. The strength of the music might have made this performance memorable, even if it were substandard. However, these choirs and Kuchar's orchestra put on a top-shelf performance and made Fresno history with this magnificent event.

9. Ursula Oppens, pianist, Lorenz presentation, January 2003. Oppens champions new music, and her presentation of a recent work of Luciano Berio stands as one of the best realizations of a new work in the decade. Her attention to the details, especially in the movement of layers between foreground and background, showed a true understanding of the score and an acute sensibility concerning the music of our time.

10. Guy Livingston, pianist, Lorenz presentation, November 2004. Those who were fortunate enough to catch this special presentation by the Lorenz series will likely remember the little quotes the pianist read from the score as he played Satie's "Sports et Divertissements" such as, "Here's a fish." That selection, while wildly entertaining and unusual in a formal recital, was a minor portion. This concert was all about American expatriate composer George Antheil's music, and Livingston showed his mettle as a champion of one of our more imaginative composers.

Honorable mentions: The Barber of Seville, Die Fledermaus, Corey Cerovsek (playing Brahms), Sarah Chang's 2005 appearance, Placido Domingo, pianist Eric Brelsford with the Fresno Philharmonic.

What concerts would you add to the list? Share them with us here.