Center Stage: Community Concerts kick off 2019 season at the Mann
The opening night of Community Concerts 2019 started off with a powerhouse performance of the National Symphony Orchestra of Romania, featuring Cristian Macelaru Conductor and cello soloist Andrei Ionita.
Community Concerts President Mary Lee Mann welcomed the audience by reminding us that this is the 70th year of Fort Myers Community Concerts, started by our own indomitable Barbara B. Mann – for which the theater is named. Imagine, it has been 70 years since that first concert at Edison Park Elementary School in Fort Myers. Wow, have we come a long way from when the Mann family sponsored that first concert. Mann then thanked the audience for attending and supporting the all- volunteer run concert; while reminding us that our ticket prices – which are still the best buy going – simply pays the rent of the hall. Thank you, supporters for bringing us world-class performances like the National Symphony Orchestra of Romania.
The first thing most of the audience noticed was the youth of the ensemble. No wonder the orchestra has been acclaimed “one of the world’s top youth ensembles,” by making a name for itself as “Romania’s best, characterized by the virtuosity, abandon, joy and drama, of its members.” The orchestra’s mission is to attract the brightest Romanian musicians between the ages of 18-35.
Let me just say this, mission accomplished! From the conductor, solo performer, to ensemble players, I have never heard such a lively, artistic, bravura performance since my attendance at Tanglewood every summer, where the Boston Symphony and its international students holds its audience enthralled all summer long.
The concert opened with Enescu’s “Romanian Rhapsody No.1”; these Romanian musicians and their conductor gave the audience all the color and liveliness that this music inspired. This piece got loud cheers and bravos from the audience. This was followed by a tour de force performance given by gold medal winner celloist Andrei Ionita, performing “Cello Concerto in B Minor” by Dvorak. This 43-minute concerto has been performed by the very greatest celloists, from Pablo Casals to YoYo Ma, and has been dubbed “the King,” the greatest and supreme of all Dvorak’s cello concertos. The performance by Ionita was right up there; brilliant is the only adjective worthy of this performance, which received a well-deserved rousing standing ovation that lead us to intermission.
Strauss’ Suite from the Rosenkavalier also ended in another boisterous standing ovation, which was followed by the liveliest zippiest performance of Ravel’s Bolero this audience member ever heard – and I have listened to a great many renditions. Wow-eee-wow wow, what a performance. The now re-energized audience rose as one yelling bravo and applauding so long that the orchestra was forced to play an encore.
‘Nuff said except for thank you, once again, for bringing to Fort Myers such skilled inspired artists at Community Concerts.
The second Community Concerts featured Teatro Lirico D’Europa, performing Giacomo Puccini’s opera Tosca. This small opera company has been part of the Community Concerts for quite a few years. In this instance, the size of the opera company matters; grand opera on this scale needs the grandeur of a full opera chorus to resonate the complete value of Puccini’s rich score and libretto. And though this audience member wasn’t enthralled, the rest of the audience was.
I did however, enjoy soprano Sandra Lopez as Tosca. Lopez, it was announced, was a last-minute replacement for an ailing Rosa D’Imperio, who was supposed to perform the role. This young artist embodied the role beautifully; both as an actress and certainly as a soprano, in a diva role. She made the whole opera come to life for me as well as the rest of the audience. Caulk up high points for Lopez and merely a passing grade for the rest of Teatro Lirico’s production of Tosca.
Next on the Community Concerts’ agenda, the Russian National Orchestra will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Rachmaninoff coming to the U.S.A. on Feb. 12. Wow, that should be an uplifting evening and one I look forward to. Sometimes single tickets are available, and this is one I wouldn’t want to miss. You might try to phone 239-963-4849 and see if they have any seats left.