I went to the Concord (Mass.) Orchestra concert last night (03/27) that
was the subject of a prior discussion because it contained a symphony
by Robert Simpson (#5).  But there was even more reason to regard the
night's performance as special...perhaps the first professional Anmerican
appearance by a budding star!  First of all, re the Simpson piece.  My
girlfriend said "I'm glad I got to hear the piece" and so am I; her
birthday is soon, and all I have to do is scoop up a CD of the work and
I'm all set...but I digress.  This was my first encounter of a work by
Simpson, and there's no doubt there's an interesting "voice" to his work,
somewhat akin to Janacek for example.  Of course, he wrote eleven
symphonies and it's possible each one sounds different, so I may be
jumping to an unwarranted conclusion.  The Fifth Symphony gives one the
impression that it was composed by a master craftsman of orchestration
and formal structure.  Just like the Mahler 5th that I heard days earlier,
though much shorter, Simpson's work employs a third-movement scherzo as
a kind of fulcrum, in this case for two Janus-like canons.  Time well-spent
I'd say.  Now, after the intermission, came the mighty Brahms Piano
Concerto #1 in D-minor (a portentous key!).  The Boston Globe recommended
the concert the previous Friday because the estimable Russell Sherman
was the announced solist.  But a sign on the door of the Concord Performing
Arts Center displayed the disappointing news that Mr.  Sherman was ill
and his place would be taken by a New England Conservatory of Music
student Sangyoung Kim.  Well, it was like a scene from a made-for-TV
movie, this unbelievably young replacement soloist not only did not
disappoint, but displayed the utmost mastery and assurance of this
difficult work.  The near-capacity audience (who also may have been there
in anticipation of a Russell Sherman performance) sat in rapt silence
for the most part, and gave her a deserved standing ovation.  Incidentally,
the Brahms 1st was the work with which she had just won a competition,
and she'll be repeating it at Jordan Hall, Wednesday April 7th.  If I
were Lang Lang, I'd be looking over my shoulder!

Laurence Glavin
Methuen, MA