Thursday night’s Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra concert
included the orchestra’s tribute for the 150-year celebration of French
composer Claude Debussy, along with a symphony by Belgian composer Cรฉsar
Franck.

First up was the “Petite Suite” (the “Little Suite”) of
Claude Debussy, the master of our romantic hearts. A lovely 15-minute piece, “Petite
Suite” was everything one could hope to hear in a work for small orchestra: a
wide range of dynamics, gentle tempi, and enough color to evoke imagery in
every note. The performance reminded me of just how pleasant it can be to
attend the symphony.

Next was Debussy’s “Fantaisie for Piano and Orchestra,” a
work in two movements, with guest soloist Stefan Arnold at the piano. Let me
preface my remarks by saying that I caught Arnold’s radio interview with WXXI’s
Julia Figueras, and Arnold’s enthusiasm for the work
made me curious. In the same interview the guest conductor, Matthias Bamert, said
he had not previously conducted the work. Arnold indicated he had performed it
several times. I will admit that I was hoping the performance would be an
introduction to a lesser-known work for piano and orchestra, like my experience
discovering my life-long loves of Franz Liszt’s “Hungarian Fantasy” and his “Piano
Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major.”

Regretfully, I cannot say that I loved either the Debussy composition
or the Arnold interpretation. The program notes indicated that Debussy himself,
“…didn’t permit it to be performed or published during his lifetime,” that he
completed two versions of the work 20 years apart, and, as per Debussy, “…to
treat the orchestra differently, otherwise you end up with a slightly
ridiculous battle between piano and orchestra.”

So, while taking notes during the first movement, “Andante
ma non troppo” (“fast, but not so much so”), I had to pull back to use both my
ears and my eyes to expend the energy necessary to try to pick out the piano, and
to figure out whether Debussy had scored an executable plan for the instrument.

As I started to develop a theory for how a musician might
approach the rather ambiguous role Debussy gave to the piano, I then shifted to
questions of Arnold’s theory of interpretation. Even after the rest of the
first movement, and through the second movement marked “Lento e molto
espressivo – Allegro molto” (“slowly with much expression – with all due
speed”), I could not find Arnold’s point of view.

The second half of the program was a fine performance of
Cesar Franck’s “Symphony in d minor.” The piece included three movements and was
approximately 40 minutes long. Guest conductor Bamert
had a mature understanding of the work. Franck’s orchestration was well suited
to the RPO, most especially in the first movement’s “Lento” (“slow”) section.
The repetition of viola, cello, and bass in a melody that dipped down, even as
it climbed higher and higher, made for a strong union, and then the power of
the violins essentially co-opting the stage flooded my emotions.

Special kudos also for the big, lush build-up to the final
notes of the symphony’s third movement, “Allegro non troppo” (“fast, but not so
much so”). The pacing was superbly matched to the dynamic, and Bamert delivered
a magnificent experience strongly reminiscent of the grandeur of the ending of
Mussorgsky’s “The Great Gate of Kiev” from “Pictures at an Exhibition.”

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra will repeat the program
Saturday, October 27, 8 p.m. at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Tickets cost
$15-$92. For more information call 454-2100 or visit the RPO website.

This article appears in Oct 24-30, 2012.