POPS lll A GERSHWIN VALENTINE

BY ED BRUCE edbrucevegas@yahoo.com

LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC

THIS VALENTINES DAY GERSHWIN.... WITH GUEST CONDUCTOR PETER BAY AND SOLOIST NIKI SCALERA.

GERSHWIN..... WITH PORTER...COHAN....HAMMERSTEIN....RODGERS..HART...ARLEN SEDAKA AND MANILOW IN THE TOP LEVEL OF GREAT AMERICAN COMPOSERS.   HOW LOVINGLY CHEESEY....LOVE THEM ALL.

PRETTY DISAPPOINTED THAT I DID NOT GET TO HEAR " MY FUNNY VALENTINE"  ON THIS PROGRAM.

MY ONLY DISAPPOINTMENT...

STARTED ON TIME AND IT WAS BRIEF....60 MINUTES 20 MINUTE INTERMISSION 20 MINUTES FOR THE SECOND HALF AND IN THE CAR AT 910.

LOVE THE ORCHESTRA SOUND....THE EVENING HIGHLITE WAS GERSHWINS LULLABY...SECOND ON THE LINEUP...SOFT...FULL OF STRINGS ...SWEET AND COMPOSED AT AGE 21....GERSHWIN LIKE MOZART AND VAN GOUGH DID NOT LIVE TO 38.....HOW MUCH RICHER OUR LIVES COULD HAVE BEEN HERE.

BAY....A FEW REMARKS ABOUT THE MUSIC..... TWO REHEARSALS.... A CONCERT AND ON THE PLANE....I STILL WONDER ABOUT GUEST CONDUCTORS AND THEIR NEED TO BE?
I LIKED HIM.

SCALERA...A SHORT WEEK FILL IN FOR SYLVIA MCNAIR (HEALTH AND VOICE) AND SHE WAS BRIEF 3 SONGS FIRST HALF...2 SECOND HALF AND ON THE PLANE...SHE WAS FINE...HOWLED A BIT...LOOKED GOOD AND TRIED TO STAY OUT OF THE WAY OF THE ORCHESTRA.  PRETTY STRANGE TO SEE A MUSIC STAND IN FRONT OF A VOCALIST.....I UNDERSTAND THE SUBSTITUE GAME AND SHORT WEEK.....PROBABLY
OK .....I DON'T THINK SHE MISSED ANY OF THE LYRICS.

ALWAYS AMAZED BY WHAT OTHER REVIEWS HAVE TO SAY...SOMETIMES WE GO TO THE SAME SHOW AND SEE AND HEAR DIFFERENT THINGS.....ONE REVIEW COMMENTED ON THE SMITH CENTER SOUND SYSTEM BEING GOOD...FUNNY ...IT HAS NEVER BEEN GOOD FOR ME....NOT SO BAD FOR ORCHESTRA AND THAT WITH 21 STANDING MICROPHONES ON THE STAGE.....I THINK I CONTINUE TO BE CONFUSED BY AMPLIFICATION AND SOUND MIX....BUT NOT CONFUSED BY WHAT I HEAR...HAD MY HEARING CHECKED RECENTLY AND I CONTINUE TO BE CHALLENGED BY VOCALS OVER ORCHESTRA....MAYBE THATS WHY I PREFER THE ORCHESTRA ESPECIALLY IN THE SMITH CENTER.

I LIKED THIS....I ALWAYS LIKE THE ORCHESTRA AND CAN'T WAIT FOR 7 MARCH WITH CELLO...MENDELSSOHN AND SCHUMAN.. 702 749 2000
        

Masterworks IV
Cabrera Conducts
Mendelssohn & Schumann
Saturday, March 7, 2015
7:30pm
Location: The Smith Center
Donato Cabrera, conductor
Sergey Antonov, cello

GREAT SHOW TONIGHT A+ 100