A superb work for guitar, strings, and percussion took pride of place at Music for America’s Summer Strings program on Sunday afternoon, August 17, at the United Church of Christ in Fort Lauderdale. Maestro Lorenzo Turchi-Floris was front and center as both composer and conductor in a delightful program of vignettes for string ensemble. Leading thirteen string players with the addition of percussion in several pieces, Turchi-Floris drew alert, excellently played performances from musicians that hailed from Cuba, Venezuela, France, Italy, Ukraine, Poland and South Florida.
The musicale culminated with Turchi-Floris’ Resonantia Mediaevalis – 4 Dances in Original Medieval Style featuring guitarist Alessio Nebiolo. Turchi-Floris’ melding of ancient and modern musical styles is nothing short of a major addition to the limited repertoire of scores for guitar and orchestra. Cast in four dance movements, the work is distinguished by imaginative orchestration and engrossing melodic writing. From the vigorous string statements of the opening movement to the stately and noble theme of the finale,’ the inspiration never flagged. The incisive dance rhythm of third section, backed by tambourine, was a particular delight. Nebiolo’s expert, pristine musicianship encompassed languorously spacious thematic lines and rapid fire strokes, all articulated with beauty and total command of the instrument. Turchi-Floris drew splendid playing from the ensemble. Outstanding solos by violinist Orlando Forte, violist Modesto Marcano and cellist Jose Pradas added to the work’s allure. A well deserved standing ovation greeted the artists at the conclusion. This creation deserves wide dissemination. It may well be the first solo classical guitar masterpiece of the twenty-first century.
This major work was preceded by lovely sweet treats from the string repertoire The opening Allegro from Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik was marked by crisp articulation and nicely variegated dynamics. La Bella Cubana by Afro-Cuban composer Jose White displays a haunting, sensual melody with a vigorous central episode. Orlando and Svetlana Forte were the winning violin duo soloists in Forte’s skilled arrangement. Serenade for Strings by Vasilij Kalinnikov (a contemporary of Tchaikovsky) spotlights Russian romantic angst at white heat. Played with great depth of feeling and silken sonority, the piece proved a worthy revival.
French violinist Charlotte Orcel took solo honors in two contrasting musical cameos. Vittorio Monti’s familiar Czardas (which has been featured in dozens of movies and television programs) found Orcel digging into the violin fireworks with gypsy panache. Her warm vibrato and rich sound gave panoramic scope to the theme from the film Schindler’s List by John Williams. Under Orcel’s superb hands, the music’s melodic and tragic undertones were fully served, accompanied with lustrous fervor by Turchi-Floris and the players.
The title waltz from Franz Lehar’s The Merry Widow represents the golden age of the Viennese operetta. The musicians radiated Viennese schmaltz at its best and Forte’s honey dipped violin solo was icing on the musical cake. While Ravel’s Bolero is a large scale orchestral showpiece, Forte’s arrangement for strings proved irresistible. With the insistent beat of Julie Prock’s drum, the famous melody was given kaleidoscopic energy and space, the string playing lush and sonorous. The entire program was a welcome summer musical treat.
