The Dallas Symphony gives the Texas premiere of a genre-hopping double concerto
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That America is a melting pot of many cultures is nowhere truer than in its music.
A case in point was the all-American program presented last night at the Dallas Symphony. It consisted of two very different works, composed seven decades apart, but both inspired by vernacular musical idioms.
After the Appalachian Spring Suite, an earlier classic by Copland, came the Texas premiere of David Amram’s Partners, a double concerto for violin, cello and orchestra, with DSO members Maria Schleuning and Jolyon Pegis as soloists.
The 30-minute concerto unfolds in three movements following the usual fast-slow-fast sequence. Each movement pays homage to legendary musicians with whom Amram played in New York City in the 1950s. The soloists often perform in dialogue, while the orchestra typically provides a more supportive role.
Amram’s language is mainly tonal and approachable, but there are some clashing harmonies. The first movement is inspired by the folk stylings of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. After a brass and percussion fanfare in the opening, the solo violin plays a carefree waltz adorned with filigree. A country dance later sets in, evoking a party in a barn. A scraping washboard and clopping temple blocks contribute to the rustic feel.
Drawing influence from jazz titans Lester Young and Billie Holiday, the second movement conjures up the atmosphere of a 1940s nightclub. Accompanied by tender strummings in the harp, the solo violin spins out a lyrical tune over double stops in the solo cello. At times, this movement seemed dramatically slack; some tightening could be in order.
The finale is a tribute to the Afro-Cuban jazz of Machito and Celia Cruz. It features a lively percussion section, and is marked by grooving riffs and Latin rhythms. Songful, bluesy tunes harken back to the slow movement.
Though Schleuning and Pegis premiered the piece in 2018, it appears as if they’ve known it for decades. They dispatched rapid passagework with ease and lent heartfelt lyricism to melodies. Schleuning had a tightly focused tone, and showcased a sweet sound in her upper register. Pegis occasionally sounded somewhat coarser.
The first violins had some intonation issues, particularly in their upper register. But assistant conductor Katharina Wincor navigated the many tempo changes with aplomb.
Scored for 13 musicians, the chamber-ensemble version of the Appalachian Spring Suite recreates the original scoring — though without all the original music — for the Martha Graham ballet.
Wincor offered clear and expressive direction, without extraneous gestures, unlike many young conductors these days. The ensemble gave a committed rendition, effortlessly switching from animated passages to the tenderest of melodies. It’s tough to single out individual soloists, as they all performed with great character and devotion. The winds sounded especially magnificent, producing a kaleidoscope of tonal colors.
Details
Repeats at 7:30 p.m. April 10 at Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora Street. $29 to $129. A video of the concert will be available April 20. Individual concert videos are $10; season passes are $125. 214-849-4376, dallassymphony.org.