Walter Piston: Concerto For Orchestra
BMOP, 2021
8/10
Listen to Walter Piston: Concerto For Orchestra
A highly esteemed ensemble led by conductor Gil Rose, the Boston Modern Orchestra Project released a pair of albums on this same day recently, by conductors Samuel Barber and Walter Piston. This interpretation of Piston’s work is carefully crafted, and retains his neo-classical vision where selections from 3 different decades place his New England roots front and center.
“Variations On A Theme By Edward Burlingame Hill” starts the listen with much grace, where both melody and tension meet in the very eloquent and absorbing climate that shifts from light and airy to full, with soaring strings.
“Divertimento For Nine Instruments” and “Concerto For Clarinet And Orchestra” land in the middle, where the former moves swiftly with a bouncy and playful spirit of dynamic instrumentation, while the latter glides with a charming cinematic quality as Michael Noseworthy’s clarinet interacts with the orchestra in fascinating ways.
“Concerto For Orchestra” exits the listen with 3 movements of strings, brass and woodwinds working together synergistically to build a triumphant and extremely memorable finish to the meticulous record.
Piston’s modernist style is captured well here by the revered musicians, who again prove just why they are certainly worthy of their many Grammy nominations, and a win in 2020, as they do Piston’s legacy proud with this first rate effort.
Travels well with: Boston Modern Orchestra Project-Samuel Barber: Medea; Ofer Pelz & Meitar Ensemble- Trinité