On the Town: New York New York; Lonely town; I can cook, topPeter Pan: Dream with me
Wonderful Town: A little bit in love; One hundred easy ways to lose a man; Wrong note rag
On the waterfront Suite
Candide: Overture; I am easily assimilated; Nothing more than this; Glitter and be gay
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: Take care of this house
West Side Story: Dance at the Gym; Maria; Tonight
Trouble in Tahiti: Island Magic
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra
Lorina Gore
Louise Dearman
Nathaniel Hackmann
Nadim Naaman
John Wilson (conductor)
Since 2009, John Wilson and his orchestra are a regular feature at the annual BBC Proms that gives quality and memorable performances of film music and musicals. As an arranger and musicologist, Wilson always came up with a programme that in good musical sequence and mixture of styles. The same to be said of this concert featuring Bernstein's works for the broadway productions, which the first half was more serious than the entertaining second half.
The curtain rose with On the Town which gave a taster for what to come later: big band, jazz and lyric song. Yet due to the hall layout and acoustic, the balance between orchestra and vocalist not always ideal that the singing was often drowned out even miked up. Lorine Gore took a rather operatic approach in Dream with me from Peter Pan. Her tuning was not too good though and employed vibrato seems excessive for my taste. Louise Dearman brilliantly realised the humorous lyrics in One hundred easy ways to lose a man Wonderful Town.
The orchestral suite of On the waterfront showing Bernstein's more serious compositional style. After a gentle horn solo, it grows into a vigorous tribal dance with the large battery of percussions thundering along. A beautiful flute solo accompanied by harp and winds answer alike calm after storm. Then the sentiments built into a long climax but the thematic repetition was enigmatic. A slow march in pentatonic style creates further dreamy impression until the brass fanfare gives an explosive coda. Though I was not sure if Wilson enjoyed the work as his conducting not very clear sometimes in coordinating the parts. Rhythmic tricky sections were not very tidy and some slips were audibly noticed.
The overture to Candide was robust and bombastic but also has a majestic theme. 'I am easily assimilated' was seductive by impression, though more sentimental in 'Nothing more than this'. Hackmann's singing style felt alike from the back of throat that did not enhance his clarity of the text. 'Glitter and be gay' was melancholy at first then transformed into a operatic firework that brilliantly rendered by Lorina Gore in all exaggeration. 'Take care of this house' instead was more emotional and soft.
The Dance at the Gym from West Side Story demonstrated the colourful scoring and energetic momentum, which the percussions and brass went wild in sheer excitements. Hackmann was more successful in Maria especially in capturing the tenderness and beauty of his timbre. Island Magic from Trouble in Tahiti again calling a noisy diva role, which Gore sustained her unflagging vocal energy throughout. The lush music and swings in Wrong note rag reached a lively conclusion, and two more encores were given including Tonight from West Side Story. Wilson certainly looked more cheerful and satisfied than the first half.
