More than 80 years of musical history, four guest soloists, a pair of world and regional premieres, and the return of an esteemed former music director.
All that was packed into the Colorado Symphony’s supercharged — arguably overcharged — all-American program Friday evening at Boettcher Concert Hall.
Leading the lineup of notable offerings was the world premiere of Brooklyn composer Kenji Bunch’s Piano Concerto, an elusive, hard-to-characterize work that is a kind of soundscape.
It has its striking moments, such as the rainfall-like opening, but struggles to attain a sense of cohesion.
Echoes of Claude Debussy and minimalism can be heard in this iterative, rhythmically charged music, but it goes off in its own multiple directions.
Oddly, this is a concerto where the solo part, adroitly realized by Bunch’s wife, Monica Ohuchi, is not what is remembered. Rather than a star vehicle, it is more of a key supporting role in the overall work.
Leaving a more lasting impression was the regional premiere of “The Melody of Rhythm,” Triple Concerto for Banjo, Double Bass and Tabla — a wholly unlikely yet surprisingly effective combination of solo instruments.
The work was created collaboratively by three world-class soloists, who all delivered masterful, captivating performances — Bela Fleck, banjo; Zakir Hussain, tabla; and Edgar Meyer, double bass.
It draws on the diverse musical heritage of each of these artists, but this well-crafted concerto is very much an integral work that carves out its own distinctive niche within the classical aesthetic.
It is heavily centered on the trio, but the uncomplicated yet effective orchestral writing, rooted in the tuneful yet modern style of Aaron Copland and his 20th-century American peers, weaves this work into a compelling whole.
Nicely complementing this offering was the familiar opener — Copland’s Suite from ” Appalachian Spring.” With the same energy and sensitivity he displayed all evening, conductor Jeffrey Kahane shaped an ebullient, evocative version that gave voice to its competing emotions.
The concert ended with George Gershwin’s “An American in Paris.”
The program will be repeated at 7:30 p.m. today and 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
Kyle MacMillan: 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com
