Concert Review: The Sweltering Sky

The New York Philharmonic plays Central Park.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Fireworks over Central Park. From nyphil.tumblr.com.

The annual New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Park series is one of the orchestra's best marketing tools, a chance for New Yorkers to hear the city's oldest orchestra in a very public setting. This year, Alan Gilbert led the band in five such concerts, spreading the gospel of serious music to each of the five boroughs.

On Monday night, the Great Lawn of Central Park was covered with blankets, although this reporter was allowed in the up-close seats and experience the music directly from the stage. This program featured Dvorak's Cello Concerto with Philharmonic principal cellist Carter Brey and Tchaikovsky's muscular Fifth Symphony, an audience favorite. The weather was sweltering heat, an oppressive muggy pall that made water bottles and flapping programs a necessary evil for the assembled crowd. Mr. Gilbert conducted in shirt sleeves.

Concert Review: The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

Carter Brey Plays the Bach Cello Suites.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Carter Brey and friend at Holy Lutheran Church.
Photo by Chris Lee © 2013 The New York Philharmonic

Johann Sebastian Bach' Six Suites for Solo Cello are the core of that instrument's repertory, works that may have been designed to instruct and educate players on that still relatively new string instrument. Each consists of a Prelude followed by a matched set of dances in different style. But considering the length of each work and the serious instrumental challenges that Bach presents in each of the six Suites, the playing all of them on one program is a rare event.