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Last
night at Heinz Hall, Irish Fiddler Eileen
Ivers bedazzled the Pittsburgh Symphony
Pops audience at the opening concert
of the season, one that put the spotlight
front and center on the versatility
of the violin.
Although
conductor Marvin Hamlisch tries to keep
a certain balance of power between the
orchestral selections during the course
of the year, it's virtually inevitable
that the strings are called upon to
hold long, luscious chords. This was
the opportunity to "string"
the audience along through light classics
like "Holiday for Strings,"
"Strings on Fire" and the
inspiration for the title of the program
"Fiddle Faddle."
Jennifer
Orchard was plucked from the second
violin section, where she serves as
assistant principal, to play a sizable
part in the program. She offered a pair
of solos, "Zigeunerweisen,"
a virtuoso warhorse that virtually picks
apart the instrument with a mine field
of harmonics and staggering leaps, and
"La Vida Breve," a fiery gypsy
number that matched her red gown.
Ivers
then took over with a collection of
Irish songs.
It
was virtually all Ivers in the second
half, low key with the offbeat accents
in "Flowing Tide," immersed
in the bittersweet lament of "Bygone
Days," and the sweeping "Planxty
Loftus Jones," before turning the
mike over to vocalist Tommy McDonnell
for "Reconciliation," a tranquil
melody dedicated to Northern Ireland.
Ivers then joined Orchard and concertmaster
Mark Huggins in the finale from Chris
Brubeck's "Interplay."
To
cap it all, the relentless excitement
of the "Blizzard Train" finale
added four dancers from the Burke School
of Irish Dancer and left Hamlisch literally
reeling with delight.
The program will
be repeated tonight and tomorrow at
8:00 PM and Sunday at 7:30 PM.
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