“ ...While the appearance of Yo-Yo Ma was the principal draw, the entire concert was greatly enjoyed, with audience response to the performance of Grieg’s Peer Gynt music equal to that of Ma. Completing the program was a fine Fantasy on a Theme of Beethoven (the main theme from the first movement of Beethoven’s first symphony) by Canadian composer Larysa Kuzmenko. This Fantasy was originally commissioned by the orchestra as a companion piece for a performance of the complete Beethoven symphonies several seasons ago. It too was very warmly received.
...The opening Beethoven Fantasy by Kuzmenko, who was in attendance, is, in terms of musical style, a throwback to roughly the time of Vaughan Williams or Holst. As a work of music, however, it is impressively well crafted and intelligently composed, the various clearly defined sections each expressing a specific mood through orchestration and thematic treatment. The control of harmony was especially impressive. The Fantasy made a suitable complement to the rest of the music of the evening in its alternation of interior reflection, contrasting with moments of brass-driven energy. Throughout the program, the various small solo parts for woodwind and brass were accurately and vividly performed, not the least the oboe colours in the Fantasy.
The applause for the Fantasy was genuine and warm, not merely dutiful, and served as an hors d’oeuvre to an evening capped with outstanding performances of the works by Elgar and Grieg. Smiles wreathed the faces of everyone as they put on their coats, having been delighted by another fine evening at the CPO.
“Kuzmenko's new work, Behold the Night, is a two-movement setting of a pair of poems from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream: "Over hill, over dale," and "Now the hungry lion roars." Scored for orchestra and children's choir, it's a harmonically conservative work – as charming and colourful as any film score by Danny Elfman or John Williams.
“The Work is flamboyantly virtuosic and Petrowska Quilico takes full advantage of the opportunity to rise to the occasion... It is a well-crafted, dramatic work that would be well at home on any mainstream orchestral concert and, deserves to be heard more often.
“The Kuzmenko Fantasy is an attractive, essentially tonal work, a genuine contribution to the repertoire, and easily the best of.. the things I've heard by this composer. It has rhythmic and melodic interest, real vitality and strong feelings, all of which Yamagami was able to convey. Each of its four movements has a distinct profile and its own characteristic devices: the Prelude is sombre; the Scherzo a buoyant jig; the Intermezzo wistful, with a memorable, brief plaintive passage in harmonics; the Toccata finale a bit episodic but decisive.
“...the scoring was so well judged that verbal clarity was never sacrificied and the union of violin, cello, and piano with the voices of a chamber choir sounded entirely natural.
“Kuzmenko's concerto, "Sea Without a Shore'", was well received. It's a good work, solid in construction with some effective orchestration. The slow finale .. is a highly evocative expression of the depth of Kuzmenko's imaginary sea. The orchestral textures are rich and dark, yet strangely still and chilling.
“Kuzmenko's exciting, absorbing and intriguing score made vivid programmatic work of the story components.
“...The opening Beethoven Fantasy by Kuzmenko, who was in attendance, is, in terms of musical style, a throwback to roughly the time of Vaughan Williams or Holst. As a work of music, however, it is impressively well crafted and intelligently composed, the various clearly defined sections each expressing a specific mood through orchestration and thematic treatment. The control of harmony was especially impressive. The Fantasy made a suitable complement to the rest of the music of the evening in its alternation of interior reflection, contrasting with moments of brass-driven energy. Throughout the program, the various small solo parts for woodwind and brass were accurately and vividly performed, not the least the oboe colours in the Fantasy...