No disrespect to Burt?

[Guest]

I didn't understand the passage I marked with ****. Isnt' that dubious?


URL: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/e ... 58,00.html
Shulgold: Despite stellar guest list, Kahane attracts spotlight
March 26, 2005

The Jeffrey Kahane Era has begun - although it's tough to say he's the brightest star of the Colorado Symphony's 2005-06 season.

True, a glance at the lineup announced on Friday does carry the stamp and the visage of the orchestra's brand new music director.


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In his limited appearances, totaling about nine weeks, he will be busy: conducting, playing piano, conducting while playing piano, bringing in living composers, lecturing about dead ones, ushering concert-goers to their seats.

OK, maybe not that last one. Yet his presence - both on stage and as season-planner - is strongly felt.

And we can't overlook all those household-name stars (or their stand-ins) in the Pops series. Liza Minnelli. Debbie Reynolds. Johnny Mathis. Bernadette Peters. The Beatles (actually, the "original cast" of Beatlemania). Led Zeppelin (actually, a return appearance by rock singer Randy Jackson and friends). Frank Sinatra (OK, lounge singer Steve Lippia).

Quite a lineup, albeit for a single night each. And we haven't mentioned the Lord of the Rings Symphony and jazz artists Peter Nero, David Sanborn and Jane Monheit.

****In the past, the CSO has offered a decent Pops lineup (no disrespect to Burt Bacharach and Marvin Hamlisch this season). But these names just jump off the page. ****

According to CSO President Doug Adams, many of those one-night stands are necessitated by orchestra gigs for Opera Colorado's season of three shows in the new Opera House. That, he said, is having an impact. And consider that the opera season might one day expand to four productions.

"We do worry about losing more symphony programs - it's a problem," Adams said. Not that he's complaining: The orchestra is thrilled to be in the Opera Colorado pit, he said, noting that rehearsals and performances are built into the CSO players' contracts.

But consider that, before and during Carmen, the orchestra has scheduled Debbie Reynolds (Oct 29), "Opera's Greatest Hits" (Nov. 10) and Liza Minnelli (Nov. 12). Similar pops "one- offs" occur during Norma and Marriage of Figaro.

Not that the CSO is giving short shrift to its main diet of classical music next season. There are 21 Masterworks programs. And, on paper, most of those look quite appealing.

Fans of superstar soloists get fiddlers Itzhak Perlman (playing Bruch's No. 1 in April), Joshua Bell (joining Kahane opening weekend in mid-September) and Hilary Hahn (offering the Sibelius Concerto in January). And let's not forget Lang Lang (in Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 in December).

On the podium most nights will be a solid lineup of in-house talent:

• Conductor laureate Marin Alsop will preside at six programs, including Perlman's concert and an evening with composer Steve Reich, celebrating his 70th birthday.

• Principal guest conductor Peter Oundjian will return, leading three programs, including the annual Beethoven concerts.

• Associate Adam Flatt again will conduct anything and everything that needs conducting.

• Chorus director Duain Wolfe shows up twice: for a Sunday matinee baroque potpourri and The Mikado, the annual Gilbert & Sullivan collaboration with Central City Opera.

That's all very nice. But it's clear that the CSO podium belongs to Kahane. Each of his concerts will command special attention next season.

What impact will he have on audiences? Will it lead to increased attendance? Will his easygoing, Alsop-like manner connect with concertgoers?

From an artistic standpoint, we expect that Kahane's superb musicianship will raise the already high level of playing and excitement. As a champion of young talent, he has signed on a number of little-known conductors and soloists who, he said, all show promise.

"Henning Kraggerud is a great violinist - someone the world will be discovering very soon," Kahane said of the Norwegian, who'll close the season with Beethoven's Concerto. The conductor also spoke highly of the Latvian violinist Baiba Skride, who'll participate in the three- concert Mozart Concerto Festival.

Speaking of which, block off the weekend of March 17-19, 2006. Kahane will be soloist in Mozart's Piano Concertos Nos. 17, 20, 21, 23, 24 and 25; Skride will play the Concertos Nos. 3 and 5, and CSO principal Bil Jackson will play the Clarinet Concerto.

Heaven - pure and simple.


The CSO season

• What: Find a complete schedule of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra's 2005-2006 season.

• Where to find it online: www.Rocky MountainNews. com/entertainment

Marc Shulgold is the music and dance writer. 303-892-5296 or e-mail to Shulgoldm@RockyMountainNews.com

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Copyright 2005, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.

[An Enormous BB Fan]

I didn't understand the passage I marked with ****. Isnt' that dubious?

I'm a little confused by it too. I'm guessing here -- maybe he's saying that in the past they've had some decent artists and that's an insult to Burt because Burt is far greater than just "decent". In other words, the author hates to lump Burt in with just "decent" artists because he knows that Burt is simply the greatest! Or one of the greatest! So he owed Burt an apology for lumping him in with just decent artists.

I had another idea about it, but it just flew out of my head.

In any event, I think the critic was praising Burt. He certainly could have done a better job of it, I'll agree to that!