{"id":3264,"date":"2016-04-01T08:12:15","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T12:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reviewing\/?page_id=3264"},"modified":"2016-04-01T08:14:54","modified_gmt":"2016-04-01T12:14:54","slug":"castleman-symphony-wow-audience","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/reviewing\/?page_id=3264","title":{"rendered":"Castleman, Symphony wow audience"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted March 31, 2016<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By ZHIWEI XIA<\/p>\n

Conductor Thomas Sleeper, guest conductor\u00a0Scott Flavin, the Frost Symphony Orchestra and the famous violinist, Charles Castleman, brought a vibrant, fabulous and professional performance at the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall at the University of Miami.<\/p>\n

The concert opened with \u201cThe Tragic Overture, Op.\u00a081,\u201d composed by Brahms, performed by the Frost Symphony Orchestra and directed by Thomas Sleeper.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe\u00a0Tragic Overture,\u00a0Op.\u00a081,\u201d is a\u00a0concert overture\u00a0for\u00a0orchestra\u00a0written by\u00a0Johannes Brahms\u00a0during the summer of 1880. The “Tragic” in the title is chosen to emphasize the turbulent, tormented character of the piece, in essence, a free-standing symphonic movement, in contrast to the mirthful ebullience of a companion piece he wrote the same year, the\u00a0\u201dAcademic Festival Overture.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite its name, this piece \u201cTragic\u201d does not follow any particular dramatic\u00a0program. Brahms was not very interested in musical storytelling and was more concerned with conveying and eliciting emotional impressions. He summed up the effective difference between the two overtures when he declared “one laughs while the other cries.”<\/p>\n

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Frost Symphony Orchestra Ensemble (Photo courtesy of the Frost School of Music, University of Miami).<\/p><\/div>\n

The performance of the Frost Symphony Orchestra well interprets the core feeling of\u00a0\u201cThe Tragic Overture, Op.\u00a081.\u201d The Frost Symphony Orchestra (FSO) formed by nearly hundred of performers who are UM Music School students and teaching assistants.\u00a0When the first note of this piece sounded, the auditorium was like a swimming pool in which a stone has been dropped. It is like a ripple in the water.<\/p>\n

By just looking at the body language of the Frost Symphony Orchestra performers, audiences feel worthy of purchasing their tickets. The performers are well merged with their instruments and their music.<\/p>\n

After finished the first piece, violinist Charles Castleman joined the Orchestra to perform the second piece.\u00a0The guest conductor,\u00a0Scott Flavin,\u00a0came to stage to direct them.<\/p>\n

What would be the most technically challenging work for a violinist? Probably is the \u201cViolin Concerto in D major,\u00a0Op.\u00a035,\u201d was written by\u00a0Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1878. It has been considered as one of the best-known\u00a0violin concertos\u00a0and this is the second piece of the performance.<\/p>\n

This piece gives\u00a0violinist a chance to demonstrate the modern playing technique of the violin, with the wonderfully\u00a0orchestral, makes\u00a0this\u00a0violin concerto has an\u00a0everlasting appeal. Also, this piece contains the local color of the Russian people. Its\u00a0unique melody with\u00a0full of sorrow makes\u00a0this piece\u00a0becomes\u00a0a novel and unique work.<\/p>\n

Listening\u00a0the performance of\u00a0Castleman and\u00a0the Frost Symphony Orchestra, audiences can feel that this violin concerto is a cheerful, lively\u00a0and full of youth work. The piece\u00a0is singing of the youth\u00a0Russian\u00a0and singing about\u00a0life. From this piece, audiences can have a visual of many optimistic Russian people\u00a0who\u00a0are looking forward to their great future.<\/p>\n

Charles\u00a0Castleman is one of the most active performers\u00a0and pedagogues\u00a0on the violin in the worldwide. He has been soloist with the orchestras of Philadelphia, Boston, Brisbane, Chicago, Hong Kong, Moscow, Mexico City, New York, San Francisco, Seoul and Shanghai.<\/p>\n

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Charles Castleman (Biophotos courtesy of the Frost School of Music, University of Miami).<\/p><\/div>\n

In 1975,\u00a0Castleman became\u00a0the professor of Violin at The Eastman School of Music. He recently become the professor of\u00a0Frost School of Music, University of Miami. He also conducted many master classes.<\/p>\n

Castleman was slightly late and without formal\u00a0attire for the performance\u00a0because of the Miami\u2019s traffic.\u00a0but when he arrived with a striking stage presence and started to play the violin, everyone is silenced.<\/p>\n

During his performance, Castleman closed his eyes, moved\u00a0with the melody and sensed the music. Then the\u00a0wonderful\u00a0music\u00a0flew through\u00a0the strings\u00a0and\u00a0his fingers.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, people think that live classical music can be heard, however, with a little imagination, audiences have a visual\u00a0experience as well. The audience can see where the notes are going, follow\u00a0a clear path. Therefore this performance can be visualized.<\/p>\n

The performer used the four strings of his violin and the support from the Frost Symphony Orchestra to fill in the harmonies. With a flexible and steady bow arm, he finished the piece\u00a0in a clean playing style.<\/p>\n

Music is a language\u00a0but\u00a0far stronger than any spoke languages. After the performance of\u00a0Castleman\u00a0and the\u00a0Frost Symphony Orchestra, the audience understands\u00a0the power of the music. The audience doesn\u2019t need to have full knowledge of orchestra and violin, feel it, sense it\u00a0and it\u00a0will connect with the tune and understand the spirit of it.<\/p>\n

Castleman received an enthusiastic\u00a0response from the audience, a standing ovation and three curtain calls. Then he came back to the stage and played another\u00a0encore to thank audiences.<\/p>\n

This is a wonderful performance and a great opportunity for\u00a0the\u00a0audiences to relax.<\/p>\n