New works drive riveting ASO performance

Richard Prior is perhaps the most gifted Atlanta composer most locals have never heard of, and the premiere of his “… of shadow and light…(incantations for orchestra)” marked his first major venture with the ASO. Still, his work is performed internationally, he is a well-regarded local conductor, and he holds important positions on the Emory faculty.

The work's title hints at the visual nature of Prior's approach, which he described as a "tapestry of musical ideas." In the 20th Century, composers like Erich Korngold and Kurt Weill emigrated here from Europe, forging their native material into a musical style that became the basis for America's best theater and movie scores. In this work, Prior has done something similar in reverse, mining the highly cinematic approach of Hollywood at its best, and translating it into a short journey, packed with a wealth of musical themes.

The work reflects Prior’s admiration for abstract art, evoking powerful emotions as it moves rapidly along. Prior’s conducting background clearly gives him a leg up in writing for the orchestra, and rarely will you hear such a wide color palette. The work is only 15 minutes long. Yet at the end, it seemed we’d been on quite a powerful trip.

Adam Schoenberg, based in Los Angeles, is a member of the “Atlanta School” of composers chosen by ASO music director Robert Spano, and several of his works have appeared here. This was the ASO premiere of his “American Symphony,” written in 2011.

Though there are interesting similarities between Schoenberg’s language and that of Prior (both write in a mostly tonal but chromatic, “accessible” language favored by Spano), what stood out here were the differences. If Prior is an abstract painter with vivid colors, Schoenberg’s work is more of a series of realistic murals. His writing is more narrative, brighter, and lyrical.

Each of the five movements in “American Symphony” has a distinct style. Movement III, for example, is a rondo “influenced by electronica,” with the rhythm of a modern dance club. The adagio which follows is written as a prayer, with a choral feel. Written shortly after Obama’s election, the work is meant to reflect on the recent history of the nation, just as Aaron Copland’s symphony of the same name looked back on World War II.

Pianist Garrick Ohlsson is a regular here. A towering figure, he is nevertheless capable of the most subtle playing, and the gentlest. On this occasion, he performed Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2, a work which features the orchestra to an unusual degree. They get most of the big themes, and it can seem that the soloist is there as an accompanist. And though it requires great virtuosity, the “Rach 2” doesn’t make a fuss over the soloist.

That worked perfectly for Ohlsson, a confident, mature artist with nothing to prove. The piano circuit today is crowded with prodigies of amazing skill. What Ohlsson brings is depth and richness. The work can seem a bit schmaltzy at times if overplayed, but both Spano an Ohlsson avoided this trap.

At the end, we got something increasingly rare here: an encore. Ohlsson played Rachmaninov’s popular Prelude in C sharp minor with great finesse, and the audience clearly loved it.

On an evening with two new works, audience members might be especially eager to review the program notes by ASO program annotator Ken Meltzer. Alas, they’ve been patronizingly snipped to a few paragraphs. The restyled program features more photos and multiple concerts. The full notes are available online, but that is small consolation to the people sitting in the room.