Been there done that. At times I feel like I’ve seen and heard it all. But sometimes you have to fight the tendency to think you’ve seen enough performances of a classic, be it a play or a piece of music. I heard nuances in Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony last night at Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa I’ve never heard before. And I don’t think the Pacific Symphony ever sounded better. They’ve really developed into a first class orchestra in recent years, for which much of the credit must go of course to Music Director Carl St.Clair.
Alexander Shelley, St.Clair’s designated successor, wielded the baton with style. He was an especially commanding presence on the podium during the closing moments of the symphony, as he decisively struck the air with his stick. The distinguished looking conductor, who has served as Music Director of Ottawa’s National Arts Centre Orchestra the past decade, assumes full artistic leadership of Pacific Symphony in 2026-27.
Shelley yielded center stage to pianist George Li during the first half of the program, conducting unobtrusively from behind the Steinway. Thanks to Li’s artistry, I discovered passages of lyrical beauty in Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto I don’t think I’d fully experienced until now. The screen above the the stage (and roving camera) allowed us to study the 29-year-old virtuoso’s relaxed, soulful and somewhat bemused expression, along with his skillful and at times delicate fingering of the keyboard.
Tan Dun’s “Jubilation,” the concert opener, included themes from Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” The short piece featured the Southern Calif. Children’s Chorus, who were in good form but were largely drowned out by the orchestra’s violin section. It well may have been played as intended, but I found it unsatisfactory. Iman Habibi’s “Every Tree Speaks,” which the composer has described as a ”rhapsodic reflection on the climate catastrophe… in dialogue with Beethoven’s Fifth and Sixth symphonies,” blended seamlessly into the Fifth at the top of the second half. Concerts continue at SCFTA through Saturday, May 3. Info: PacificSymphony.org.
I also had the opportunity this week to view Flicker Alley’s new Bu-Ray restoration of “Merry-Go-Round,” a 1923 Universal “Super-Jewel” directed by Rupert Julian. In something of a scandal at the time, Erich von Stroheim was fired off this now forgotten silent film after six weeks of production by Irving Thalberg, who also removed his name from the credits. Von Stroheim wrote the story set in post-World War I Vienna and left substantial evidence of his involvement behind, including opulent sets and other extravagant touches.
A tale about a married count (Norman Kerry) who falls in love with an organ grinder (Mary Philbin) and dupes her into believing he’s a necktie salesman may not sound like much, but it’s quite engrossing. The drama is enhanced with moments of humor that seem like only Von Stroheim could have concocted them, like the count’s dog jumping into his master’s bath and enjoying it before he can.
If Kerry is not terribly impressive in the lead, a role Von Stroheim intended to play himself, Philbin and Cesare Gravina (as her circus clown/puppeteer father) give distinctive performances. Kerry and Philbin would be memorably reteamed under Julian’s direction in a film as famous as this one is obscure, “The Phantom of the Opera” starring Lon Chaney Sr.
Robert Israel’s terrific orchestral score is a delight from start to finish. Bonus material includes commentary by film historian Richard Koszarski, archival footage of old Vienna, D. W. Griffith’s 1915 movie “Old Heidelberg” (which featured Von Stroheim and influenced “Merry-Go-Round”), and a souvenir booklet with an essay by Koszarski. Happily, this release is consistent with the quality we’ve come to expect from Flicker Alley and producer/restorer Serge Bromberg. Info: flickeralley.com.
George Li at Pacific Symphony. Photo by Simon Fowler.
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