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Symphony Embraces Jazz Fusion For Transformative Program

Embracing musical diversity, Nir Kabaretti, Music and Artistic Director of the Santa Barbara Symphony, assembles his concert programs like a filmmaker, bringing disparate musical images together in spectacular sonic convergence around a single, profound trope. Kabaretti’s magical tour for the Symphony’s concerts last weekend at the Granada Theatre pirouetted on the notion of transformation - sometimes obvious, often intangible.

Jazz saxophonist and internationally renowned jazz composer, Ted Nash, and the Josh Nelson Trio joined the symphony for the world premiere of Nash’s Transformation for Jazz Quartet and Orchestra. From earlier iterations, Transformation has now settled nicely into a suite in four sections, including a new Prelude, inspired by Scriabin’s Prelude, Op. 11, No. 1 for Piano; re-workings for full orchestra and jazz quartet of Dali, from Nash’s Portrait in Seven Shades, composed for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra some years back, and Dear Dad, kept from the earlier version of Transformation and re-orchestrated, with a video letter from the composer’s son projected above the orchestra. The last section, Wolfgang’s Samba, inspired by Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, was also freshly composed for this world premiere.

Guest artists, including Santa Barbara Symphony principal pianist Natasha Kislenko, jazz saxophonist Ted Nash, and the Josh Nelson Trio, gave Saturday night’s audience excellent wow value, with solid performances of Ernst von Dohnányi’s Variations on a Nursery Song, Op. 25 (1914), Richard Strauss’ tone poem Death and Transfiguration, Op. 24 (1888-89), Maurice Ravel’s Boléro (1928), and the world premiere of saxophonist/composer Ted Nash’s Transformation for Jazz Quartet and Orchestra.

Opening Saturday’s concert with Ernst von Dohnányi’s Variations on a Nursery Song, Op. 25 (1914), a virtuoso transformation of the simple nursery song Twinkle Twinkle Little Star into an imaginative, no mind-boggling series of variations for piano and orchestra, Santa Barbara Symphony principal pianist Natashia Kislenko was in her element, playing the work from memory and with gusto. Dohnányi’s brilliant orchestrations, his cheeky sense of humor and take-no-prisoners pianistic bravado, made for good fun and colorful music-making.

Kislenko’s clarity of articulation kept her role as cheerful protagonist consistently above the orchestral fray around her – virtuoso technique making for malleable musical magic. Kabaretti and the orchestra danced their part with jolly finesse. Sectional and ensemble cohesion and energy were appropriately de rigueur for this professional orchestra, but the Finale fugato took the piece over the moon. A wonderful performance all round.

Next on the program, jazz saxophonist/composer Ted Nash and the Los Angeles-based Josh Nelson Trio joined the Santa Barbara Symphony for the world premiere of Nash’s Transformation for Jazz Quartet and Orchestra. From earlier iterations, Transformation has now settled nicely into a suite in four sections, including a new Prelude, inspired by Scriabin’s Prelude, Op. 11, No. 1 for Piano; re-workings for full orchestra and jazz quartet of Dali,from Nash’s Portrait in Seven Shades, composed for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra some years back, and Dear Dad, kept from the earlier version of Transformation and re-orchestrated. The last section, Wolfgang’s Samba, inspired by Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet, was also freshly composed for this world premiere.

Timbre the essence of clarified butter, technique as swift and light as butterfly wings (enjoy the mixed metaphor) Ted Nash is as advertised, one of the great jazz saxophonists of the 21st century. His solo passages on soprano sax (Prelude) were delicate in color and patrician in improvisational mastery. Ditto, his alto sax riffs (Dali). The Josh Nelson Trio – Josh Nelson piano, Luca Alemanno bass, Dan Schnelle drums – were a perfect ensemble match and foil for Nash’s jazz aesthetic. Each member of the trio offered solo moments that matched Nash’s in style and delicacy; all were equals in sophisticated jazz artistry. Maestro Kabaretti and the orchestra played Nash’s orchestrations with the panache of experienced studio artists, which many of them are.

After intermission, two works to show off the orchestra itself as soloist, Richard Strauss’ powerful tone poem Death and Transfiguration and Maurice Ravel’s eponymous masterpiece of steady construction and heady chaos, Boléro. Kabaretti allowed the Strauss to speak expressively on its own account, without overindulging himself or the music – no easy discipline with such an emotionally charged and transcendental work of sonic art. It takes a seasoned ensemble of professional musicians to navigate Strauss’s orchestral description of death and beyond. The Santa Barbara Symphony acquitted itself, as audiences have come to expect, with finesse, energy, and tight ensemble discipline. First-class playing from all sections.

Ravel’s Boléro can easily become a bloody bore if not paced with steely precision and careful sound layering. It’s an extremely tricky work, particularly because of its deceptive simplicity. Wildly popular, it doesn’t help that most everybody in an audience knows the tune and will quickly discern the slightest lull in carefully notched intensity. Pacing – not too slow, not to fast, never erratic – is the secret and curse of the work. Kabaretti and colleagues know the piece, understand the potential problems, and gave Saturday’s audience a thrilling performance.

Daniel Kepl | Performing Arts Review