Charlotte Symphony Orchestra – Part II – The Concert

(The Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, in Punta Gorda, Florida, is conducted by Rochester native Raffaele Ponti)

For the first time ever, I attended a pre-concert talk (note to self – must do this more often).  It was extremely well attended – the hall must have been at least 1/3 full. Maestro Raffaele Ponti first explained that since the orchestra only presents 5 concerts per year, and the Board has dispensed with the purely pops concert, he will incorporate pops pieces into the regular programs, so that each concert will have “something fun, something traditional, and something different.”  He will mix the classics and pops with new works, to introduce the audience to what he hopes will become “new favorites.”  He explained his expectations: for the orchestra – to become one of the finest in the region; for the audience – to be part of the journey, and to be open to expanding their listening repertoire. 

Ponti has also repositioned the cellists in front of the winds, facing toward the audience, to enhance the projection of their sound.  The violists are now all to the conductor’s right, with their soundboards facing away from the audience, even though he admitted that the violas are the least projecting instrument. As my niece Alison explained to me, orchestral position is a dilemma and involves compromises.  Apparently, until the advent of recording microphones, it was more common to seat the 1^st and 2^nd violins on opposite sides, and position the lower-range strings in between.

Nanette and her friend Susan in their
sparkly Phantom of the Orchestra scarves

The excitement of the audience was palpable as they filled the auditorium for the concert.  At least 20% of the audience were wearing “Phantom of the Orchestra” scarves – men as well as women.  For an annual $35 donation, supporters can proudly display their enthusiasm for ‘their’ orchestra, as one might wear a team baseball cap or jersey to a game (yes, again with a sports analogy!).  Regional symphonies are like minor league baseball teams, and not just because their players are perhaps less skilled than the major leagues.  Just as minor league teams are much more connected to their fans personally, regional orchestras are much more connected to their communities personally. Because the community is smaller, there’s a greater chance that the audience will have a personal connection to the musicians, in addition to the performer/audience relationship.  There’s also a greater chance that the audience members will know each other, and that attending a concert becomes a social experience in addition to a listening one.  I was impressed that my friend Nanette, whom I was visiting, knew and spoke to at least 3 dozen people before the concert.  I was disheartened that at this sold-out performance only about a dozen of the 850 audience members were under the age of 50 (there were many more people with walkers – I know it’s Florida, but still…).  Orchestras everywhere must be struggling with how to make classical music relevant to the next generation, in order to survive.  Perhaps Ponti’s “Symphony Kids” program will prove successful, and be replicated in other communities.

The performance began with The Star-Spangled Banner (why?!?), and then the familiar Capriccio Italien by Tchaikovsky (there were some tuning and timing issues, but perhaps the musicians were still settling in to Ponti’s conducting style, or perhaps they were exhausted from two consecutive days of lengthy rehearsals).  Pianist Jeffrey Biegel joined the orchestra to perform Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, and the orchestra’s lush sound complemented Biegel’s virtuosity perfectly (I am not familiar enough with this piece to have identified the additional measures that were peppered throughout).  The final work, Giuseppe Martucci’s Symphony No 1 in d minor, was Ponti’s contribution to the “something new” category, and both Nanette and I agreed that it was innocuous, except for the delightfully syncopated and dissonant third movement.

Both Biegel and Ponti received standing ovations, and both were deserved.  Ponti’s passion will definitely enhance the audience’s sense of ‘team spirit,’ and everyone seemed quite pleased with the selection of their new maestro.