Philharmonia Baroque, featuring Elizabeth Blumenstock
Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church
49 Knox Drive, Lafayette, CA
4:00 PM, Sunday, January 29, 2017

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• Haydn: Symphony No. 63 La Roxelane
• Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 5 Turkish
• Haydn: Symphony No. 91

• Adalbert Gyrowetz: Symphony Op. 6, No. 3
• Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 5 Turkish
• Haydn: Symphony No. 91

[4:04 PM lights down, concert tuning]

Adalbert Gyrowetz (1763-1850): Symphony in F major, Op. 6, No. 3 (1783)

1. [4:06 PM] Allegro
2. [4:11 PM] Andante
3. [4:16 PM] Minuetto: Allegretto
4. [4:20 PM] Finale [Rondo]: Allegro Vivace
   [work ends 4:23 PM]

[4:24 PM concert tuning]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791): Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219 Turkish (1775)

1. [4:26 PM] Allegro Aperto
2. [4:36 PM] Adagio
3. [4:47 PM] Rondeau: Tempo di Menuetto
   [set ends 4:57 PM; flowers for EB, all off after a minute or so]

[5:20 PM lights down, band out, announcements from Nick]

Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 91 in E-flat major, Hob.I:91 (1788)

1. [5:23 PM] Largo – Allegro assai
2. [5:36 PM] Andante
3. [5:43 PM] Menuet. Un poco Allegretto – Trio
4. [5:48 PM] Finale. Vivace
   [show ends 5:56 PM, all off after a few minutes of applause]

Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra

• Paul Avril: horn;
• Elizabeth Blumenstock: violin;
• David Daniel Bowes: viola;
• Maria Ionia Caswell: viola;
• Stephanie Corwin: bassoon;
• Lisa Grodin: principal viola;
• Paul Hale: cello;
• Robert Howard: cello;
• R.J. Kelley: principal horn;
• Katherine Kyme: concertmaster, violin;
• Tyler Lewis: violin;
• Nicholas McGegan: conductor, music director;
• Carla Moore: violin;
• Maxine Nemerovski: violin;
• Ellie Nishi: viola;
• Linda Quan: violin;
• Gonzalo X. Ruiz: principal oboe;
• Marc Schachman: oboe;
• Andrew Schwartz: principal bassoon;
• Sandra Schwarz: violin;
• Janet See: flute;
• David Sego: violin;
• William Skeen: cello;
• Timothy Spears: contrabass;
• Noah Strick: principal second violin;
• Tanya Tomkins: principal cello;
• Jolianne von Einem: violin;
• Lisa Weiss: violin;
• Gabrielle Wunsch: violin;
• Kristin Zoernig: principal contrabass.

The opening piece by Gyrowetz was a pleasant enough appetizer: an excellent light classical piece exhibiting all the taste and refinement one would expect of someone following the example of Haydn.

The Mozart centerpiece, featuring Elizabeth Blumenstock as soloist, was also terrific. I suppose I would have preferred that McGeg an drive the group a little harder (and move away from the evocation of Mozart as a composer of fey, twee pieces for polite company), but perhaps his choice was to do that only in the “Turkish” section so as to create greater contrasting tension across the work. I dunno. I guess I think today's version was just OK, but not super duper great.

And I suppose I'd say the same thing about the closing Haydn: it was pleasant to listen to, but not particularly exciting. That's the big trick with the height of refinement: retaining that sense of taste and discrimination while pulling off the big finale without appealing to the base and vulgar.

PBO posted Program Notes thanks to Bruce Lamott.

Joshua Kosman posted a review of Wednesday’s show at Bing Hall (featuring the same program) on SFGate, while Steve Winn posted a review of the following night’s gig at Herbst on SFCV. Remarkably, both critics opinion align pretty well with my own for once!

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2017 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2017 event list! ☸ On to the next event!