The San Diego Symphony yet again produced a spectacular program (April 10, 2011). The Symphony hosted two world renowned guests: conductor Thomas Wilkins and percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie. Glennie was on hand to showcase Conjurer: Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra. Written by John Corigliano, the work was originally commissioned for Glennie in 2008 and this was the first San Diego performance.
The three movements of Conjurer are a separate vehicle for the different timbres of the percussion section: Wood, Metal, and Skin. Each movement begins with Glennie establishing the character of the movement with a solo cadenza before the orchestra enters supporting the percussion and developing the material.
Corigliano explores the sonic palate of the percussion section in the able hands of Evelyn Glennie. The performance of Conjurer was mysterious and beautiful, providing an exciting exploration of sounds from the battery section of the orchestra. The movement Metal is especially intriguing; the play of tubular bells harmonics and soft low reverberations of the gongs at different sections were both entrancing.
Thomas Wilkins, the San Diego Symphony, and Evelyn Glennie all deserve high praise for their performance. In the program notes Wilkins says that the Beethoven Second Symphony and Liszt’s Les preludes were programmed after the intermission as a contrast to the dense composition of Conjurer. Both pieces were played beautifully, and Wilkins was correct to program a time of repose after the intensity of Conjurer.
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