THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, April 22, 1995 TAG: 9504220293
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Music Review
SOURCE: By MARK MOBLEY, MUSIC CRITIC
LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
The difference between an enjoyable concert and a memorable one is tough to pin down, but it probably has to do with inspiration. Had Friday night found the Virginia Symphony's guests in a more commanding frame of mind, the music would have sounded meaningful - not just pretty.
There is great music in this weekend's Chrysler Hall program. Samuel Barber's ``Knoxville: Summer of 1915'' is an American classic, a soprano setting of the prose poem that opens James Agee's novel ``A Death in the Family.'' The combination of this lyrical work and Beethoven's Fourth Symphony seemed a winning one.
But while they were both quite capable, neither soprano Janice Dixon nor guest conductor Sung Kwak had that final touch of drama. When Dixon intoned the first of Barber's languid lines, she revealed a slightly dark coloring and clear diction that were each appealing.
But she didn't project as the orchestra grew louder, and her phrasing was a bit square. Likewise, Mozart's ``Exsultate, Jubilate'' received no special involvement from her, though Kwak did manage one magical transition toward the end.
Kwak, the Korean-born music director of the Austin Symphony, captured a number of such details, especially at the opening of the Fourth Symphony. He has taught conducting, and it was easy to see what he can convey to a student - a clear beat and an impressive repertoire of gestures. His judicious tempos favored precision over excitement.
The concert opened with Respighi's ``The Birds,'' a series of character pieces that could be understood as a second-rate ``Pictures at an Exhibition.'' It is the kind of skillfully assembled piece that occasionally grabs a listener with a cleverly turned phrase or arresting rhythm, only to then renege on its promise of getting any more interesting. MEMO: MUSIC REVIEW
The Virginia Symphony, with guest conductor Sung Kwak and soprano
Janice Dixon Friday at Norfolk's Chrysler Hall. The program will be
repeated today at 8 p.m. For ticket information, call 623-2310. by CNB