Friday night, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra POPS
presented “New York Cityscapes,” a work in five parts
composed by conductor Jeff Tyzik, accompanied by the original choreography of
Jamey Leverett, artistic director, for the Rochester City Ballet. The
performance will be repeated Saturday at 8 pm.

The performance was so exciting that all I can say is that it’s
an experience you are going to have to go to hear — and see — for yourself.

In “New York Cityscapes,” Tyzik trumps Leonard Bernstein. The evening’s
overall program included three dance episodes from Bernstein’s “On the Town,”
providing a fresh reminder of all that’s great about the composer, from quirky
rhythms to unresolved melodies to uncomfortable interval pairings. But where
Bernstein’s music can grind one down into the grit of the gutter, Tyzik’s use
of many of the same musical elements goes deeper into the heart and soul
to portray what is persistent and enduring about city life. Tyzik finds the
silver lining that eluded Bernstein.

“New York Cityscapes” breaks down into five parts, “Ragtime
Redux,” “Tango,” “Traffic Jammin,” “African Dance,” and “Tarantella.” Each part
was distinct, yet all captured the pulsing undercurrent of New York City. The
stop-start of heavy traffic, punctuated by impatient drivers and yellow taxicabs.
Pedestrians with different footfalls, ranging from harried businessmen to
chatting window shoppers. Steam hissing up from grates. Just as when a person
is in NYC, in “New York Cityscapes,” the listener hears all the singular
rhythms that should, but somehow don’t, collide.

The brilliance of pairing Leverett’s choreography with
Tyzik’s composition cannot be overstated. My fear going into the program was
that the choreography might take the approach of working along the metronome
meter of the compositions (I listened to them online at Tyzik’s website).
Instead, Leverett took the far more complicated approach of using a troupe of
dancers to express the complexities of rhythm, tone, and instrument solos so
brilliantly captured by Tyzik.

Tyzik and Leverett’s approach was enhanced by the simple,
elegant costumes. The unusual green color, the daring line of the bodice that
appeared suspended upon the ballerinas’ chests, and the ever-fluid fabric, all
of which evolved from one section to the next, enhanced all of the wildly
divergent body movements of the dancers.

Credit should also be given to lighting. There was very
effective use of focal lights, while the colors and hues of the rest of the
stage further extended that undertone of around-the-edges-activity in a busy
city.

And, I’m not telling you the whole story if I don’t
emphasize the excellent execution of the musicians of the RPO POPS. At every
staccato, accent, swell, and sforzando, the musicians worked hard for the kind
of clear, clean, and difficult execution demanded by the pieces. As compared to
my regular beat with the RPO “proper” for classical symphonies, I had to smile
at how much fun the musicians were having on stage. I caught several unable to
refrain from dancing in their seats, and, in particular, the brass section plus
clarinet were hitting high notes and rifts with abandon. A gold star to the
pure sounds of the trumpet, which soared.

The first half of the program was five familiar dance pieces
plus variations on five movements from Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Suite.”
From Jacques Offenbach’s “Can Can” to Aram Khachaturian’s “Sabre Dance,” with
each piece on the first half of the program, the audience contentedly murmured
and applauded these favorites.

So here’s what I come down to: the entire concert was a
not-to-be-missed experience. While the first half will give you familiar
favorites by our outstanding RPO POPS musicians under the baton of Tyzik, it’s
the second half through Tyzik’s “New York Cityscapes,” presented with the
Rochester City Ballet, that gives you the future of this genre of music.

Rochester Philharmonic
Orchestra and Rochester City Ballet will also perform this program Saturday,
February 2, at 8 p.m. at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, 60 Gibbs St. Tickets
cost $15-$82. For more information call 454-2100 or visit rpo.org.

This article appears in Jan 30 – Feb 5, 2013.