The Jacksonville Symphony presented an enjoyable and heady program in two concerts over Friday and Saturday nights, Jan. 10 and 11. The Marcus Roberts Trio joined the orchestra, bringing an electric presence to the stage, while renowned conductor Robert Spano gathered the ensembles together with grace and intensity.
The combined musical results conveyed an especially urgent message of collaboration. Through this weekend’s performance of Carlos Simon’s new work, a new take on George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, and Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s classic Fifth Symphony, the Jacksonville Symphony demonstrated the power of music to make a case for social unity that respects individuality.
The concert opened with the bright sounds and sweeping motion of Simon’s “Motherboxx Connection.” The first movement of his “Tales: A Folklore Symphony,” the work combines neo-Romantic and minimalist techniques with gospel and jazz styles to depict the multifaceted vision of graphic design duo Black Kirby (Stacey A. Robinson and John Jennings).
The Jacksonville Symphony’s rendition captured the juxtaposition of gospel rhythms and neo-Romantic harmonies, with emphases on both the twinkling tones of the upper winds and percussion and the driving rhythms of the low strings and brass. The full ensemble’s embodying of the continuous energy conveyed the score’s sense of hopeful adventure and futurist fantasy.
The gospel and jazz allusions and neo-Romantic context continued into the next portion of the program in an account of Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F. With the solo pianist’s part re-imagined for jazz band by the Marcus Roberts Trio, the performance highlighted the combination of differing styles with exciting results.
Under Spano’s baton, the ensembles found each other’s grooves in the first bars of the work. From here, the ensembles’ efforts shined with creative dialogue. Drummer Jason Marsalis — of the musical Marsalis family including Wynton Marsalis, artistic director of jazz at Lincoln Center — took a virtuosic role in shaping the jazz band’s solo moments, incorporating responses to the orchestra’s subtleties. Bassist Rodney Jordan similarly wowed the audience with nimble and sophisticated improvisations while Marcus Roberts’s command of Gershwin’s score brought out its masterful creativity.
Following a rousing conclusion, Roberts spoke to the audience to emphasize the message of the concert — two different styles, and their cultural viewpoints, coming together make something even better than each staying in their own world. The Marcus Roberts Trio’s encore, leading into the intermission before an all-classical second half of the program, convinced all that jazz and classical need not stay apart.
The orchestra took the stage after intermission for a thought-provoking reading of Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony. The work has rightly earned its place as one of the best in the repertoire through memorable melodies, moving wind solos and a dramatic arc on par with those of the best superhero franchises. From the first bars, the Jacksonville Symphony winds stepped up to the task of this demanding work. Soloists responded to Spano’s masterful leadership with their own nuance and unique interpretations. In particular, the presentation of the symphony’s main theme by clarinetists Giovanni Bertoni and Patrick Graham set the standard for the rest of the performance. From here, the ensemble responded, keeping the bar high for clarity and expressiveness throughout.
Notably, Kevin Reid flawlessly presented the highly anticipated French horn solo of the second movement, with an eye toward Tchaikovsky’s often overlooked instruction for an “Andante” (strolling) feeling. The work’s final, triumphant march rounded out this sophisticated program, bringing home the subtext of the concert itself, that each has a role to play in realizing the social vision set out in the first half of the program.
Matt Bickett is a musician and scholar living in Jacksonville, Florida. He serves as director of music ministries at Riverside Presbyterian Church and artistic director of the Friends of Music at Riverside.