I am a casual classical radio listener – I do most of my
listening in the car. So I’d never heard From the Top, an episode of which was just taped here in Rochester
at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre.
I thought it would be fun to attend the taping/concert, especially since
it featured Sir James Gallway, who really is a magical flute player.
The evening began with Galway receiving an Honorary Doctor
of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music. Apparently he had taught at Eastman many years ago, but only
for a semester, because his teaching duties didn’t fit with his performance
schedule... Christopher O’Riley, the
host, and Joanne Robinson, announcer, then took the stage, after a humorous
introduction about the “rules” of a radio taping (no candy-unwrapping, no
coughing!). Only once during the
entire show were they required to reread something for later editing.
The show began with O’Riley on the piano (who appeared to be
using his ipad for the score), accompanying 16-year old Pittsford cellist,
Annie Jacobs-Perkins, on Carl Davidoff’s fast-paced At the Fountain, Op. 20
No. 2. O’Riley also accompanied Eastman vocal student Emily
Helenbrook, as she entertained us with “Adele’s Laughing Song” from Die
Fledermaus, and Sir James and Lady Jeanne
Galway, for Franz Doppler’s Rogoletto Fantasie for Two Flutes and
Piano. The husband and wife flutists were delightful, and perfectly
in synch. What you won’t see on
the radio is how Gallway appears nonchalant while playing, while his wife sways
back and forth, leaning into energetic passages as she plays.
Gallway also played parts of Gounod’s Petite Symphonie with
an ensemble from the Eastman School and Rochester Philharmonic Youth Orchestra,
and he graciously complimented them on their skill and preparation. Carmen
Knoll, a 15-year old Juilliard student, gave a stunning performance of Liszt’s Hungarian
Rhapsody No. 13 in A minor. But the evening’s highlight, for me,
was 10-year old Pierce Wang, on violin.
He was adorable and poised in his little tux, and as he played Heinrich
Ernst’s Grand Caprice on Schubert’s Der Erlkönig, I sang along in my head, remembering the piece from
voice lessons 40 years ago. He
captured the different characters of the poem perfectly in his playing – quite an
accomplishment! (See him perform
this piece:
O’Riley interviewed each student after his/her performance, as
well as the Gallways, who talked about his First Flute program of on-line lessons for flutists at all level. Mark you calendar for the local airing of
the episode on WXXI Classical 91.5 FM on Sunday, April 6 at 5:00pm. I’ll have to try to take a drive that
afternoon…
For more information about NPR’s From the Top: https://www.fromthetop.org/
For information on Gallway’s First Flute program: http://www.firstflute.com/home.html
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