Atlanta Journal-Constitution Monday, November 1, 2004 Living Section Amateur Ensembles Glow with a Passion for Music Pierre Ruhe, Staff pruhe@ajc.com CLASSICAL REVIEWS - Georgia Philharmonic, Saturday at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center in Roswell; Capitol City Opera in Menotti's “The Medium,” Sunday at Earthlink Live in Midtown. “Music, like sex, is too important to be left to the professionals,” wrote Robert Shaw who, bawdy or serious, gave heart and soul to Atlanta's classical music scene. The late conductor loved “amateurism.” He meant it in the old Olympic sense of unjaded non-professionals who pursue excellence out of love for the endeavor. “Amateur is not a dirty word,” wrote Shaw. Amator, from the Latin, is a lover. Two of metro Atlanta's most satisfying community ensembles — for-love-of-art players — performed over the weekend, exceeding expectations for what no-frills, shoestring-budget troupes can accomplish. The Georgia Philharmonic is an all-volunteer orchestra with a fascinating history. Its musicians hold day jobs, love classical music and play cello, clarinet or trombone as a hobby. Founded 30 years ago as the Sandy Springs Chamber Orchestra, and later renamed Orchestra Atlanta, they rebelled three years ago when a new administration diluted the mission by forcing them to perform money-making pops concerts. The players, with conductor Philip Rice, mutinied en masse and reformed as a self-governing organization. They took a new name but retained their proud status. Rice and visiting soloists get paid, the amateur players do not. Robert Shaw would have loved them. In concert Saturday evening at the Roswell Cultural Arts Center, the Georgia Philharmonic was splendid for Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto, with guest soloist Martin Chalifour, a former Atlanta Symphony Orchestra concertmaster (under Shaw) and now Los Angeles Philharmonic concertmaster. Perhaps to aid the orchestra, Chalifour's gutsy playing was always clear and sensible, and he never exaggerated rhythms for showy effect. Rice, who is the most skilled and energizing among Atlanta's suburban-orchestra maestros, kept the orchestra properly quiet in accompanying passages. With rapt attention and only a few wrong notes, they allowed the music to sing and shout and sound really exciting. Rice also programmed a rarity, Massenet's Orchestral Suite No. 1, from 1865, a mini-symphony of sweetly lyrical tunes from the French opera composer. The philharmonic played with verve and understatement — just right for this music — and found magic in the breezily chromatic Nocturne. ©2004 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Reprinted with permission from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Further reproduction, retransmission or distribution of these materials without the prior written consent of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and any copyright holder identified in the materials™ copyright notice, is prohibited. Return to the Home page
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