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Last weekend marked the start of Virginia Arts Festival’s 22nd season bringing distinguished performing artists to the Hampton Roads area. The season kicked off with Bernstein at 100, a tribute to famed composer, conductor, and teacher Leonard Bernstein. Virginia Arts Festival’s production was part of a worldwide celebration that commenced at the Kennedy Center last year. Over 2,000 performances on six different continents will pay honor to Bernstein in celebration of what would have been his 100th year.
From the pizazz of West Side Story to the sweet optimism of The Chichester Psalms, Leonard Bernstein’s musical output was vast and varied. As one of the first conductors born and educated in the United States to reach international acclaim, Bernstein was a staunch advocate for contemporary American music and attracting new audiences. One of his most notable achievements was televising the New York Philharmonic’s Young People’s Concerts, which helped introduce new generations to the exuberance of classical music.
Bernstein’s daughter, Jamie Bernstein, narrated the evening at Virginia Arts Festival with personal anecdotes of growing up in the Bernstein household and witnessing her father’s struggles, tribulations, and accomplishments.
The evening began suitably with the overture to Candide, often deemed “the perfect overture” due to its high energy punches. The Chichester Psalms, commissioned for chorus and orchestra by the Chichester Cathedral in 1965, were next on the program. Bernstein was asked to create a work with “a hint of West Side Story,” a request he granted as a portion of The Chichester Psalms was pulled from melodies cut from the musical.The men of the Virginia Chorale sounded disordered during the first movement of Chichester. Unclear diction and muddy notes took away from the piece’s impact. The group improved in later movements but never fully came together; the soloists in particular sounded under rehearsed.
Mandy Porter of the Virginia Children’s Chorus sang Chichester’s famous solo with a clear tone, charming presence, and strong diction. Porter tackled the challenging tune against sparse harp accompaniment well. I did wonder why Bernstein’s explicit instructions to select a countertenor or boy soprano weren’t followed; the solo portion is meant to represent the boy David from the Hebrew Bible.
The Virginia Symphony Orchestra was dynamic and well prepared under conductor JoAnn Falletta. Hampton Roads has a surprising number of ties to Bernstein: Falletta studied with Bernstein at Juilliard and is serving on the Leonard Bernstein at 100 Honorary Committee. Virginia Arts Festival Perry Artistic Director Robert Cross played under Bernstein’s baton, and Rob Fisher, a Grammy and Tony-Award winning music director who has extensive experience with Bernstein’s work, is originally from Norfolk. Fisher kicked off the Bernstein celebration at the Kennedy Center last year and will be returning to Norfolk in May for Bernstein on Broadway.
The first act closed with Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs for solo clarinet and jazz ensemble. Internationally renowned clarinetist, Jon Manasse, played with fluidity and a spark that oftentimes sounded improvised. Jamie Bernstein called her father the “great cross pollinator” as he often mixed genres and collaborated with some of the best artistic forces (e.g. Jerome Robbins, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and Stephen Sondheim) of his time. In line with Bernstein’s commitment to artistic community and connection, Virginia Arts Festival invited Todd Rosenlieb Dance to help bring Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs to life visually. Dancers in shades of blue and purple began in three straight lines; their movements grew vibrant, exciting, and individualized, complementing the rambunctious sounds of Bernstein’s composition.
The second half of the evening included masterful performances of two dramatic works: Serenade (After Plato’s “Symposium”), and Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. Grammy-nominated violinist Robert McDuffie interpreted Serenade with grace and strong articulation. Watching McDuffie perform was like observing a dancer’s movements; his violin seemed merely an extension of himself, and his body swayed with every changing note. McDuffie went over the piece’s themes and the meaning behind them before his performance, which added an educational layer to the listening experience.
The Symphonic Dances from West Side Story made a thrilling end to a bold and fun opening night for Virginia Arts Festival. The orchestra performed Make Our Garden Grow from Candide as an encore, with young singers emerging from the audience and making their way onstage in a nod to the enduring nature of Bernstein’s works and the monumental impact they’ll have on generations to come.
Itching for more Bernstein? Virginia Arts Festival will host Bernstein on Broadway at the Sandler Center on May 12. Next up for Virginia Arts Festival is Birmingham Royal Ballet, April 20th through 22nd, and the Virginia International Tattoo, April 26th through 29th. Visit vafest.org for the full schedule.
