If one could only go by the incessant applause and several encores at last night's "Live and Let Die" Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) event, the homage to Sir Paul McCartney and the Beatles was a resounding success. If one could understand that 90 percent of the crowd would probably not be found at a work of Mahler or Stravinsky that the LPO might present, then the intent of putting on a musical event with broad and popular appeal was fully accomplished.
From the circulars announcing the show it was apparent that the lion's share of the music would be played by McCartney look-alike Tony Kishman and his supporting musicians and backup singers. However, there was hope that the audience might also be able to hear McCartney's more famous songs given serious symphonic readings by the LPO. Alas, that never materialized. The LPO, which might have gained some serious attention by playing just one of the McCartney songs without frontmen, was relegated to being backup players to musicians who oftentimes were off key and were unable to hold the rapt attention of true Beatles devotees.
The evening began with promise with selections from McCartney's most famous solo work with Wings, "Band on the Run" and quickly turned to Beatles single "Hello Goodbye" and "When I'm 64" from the "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" album. McCartney solo pieces like "Listen to What the Man Said," "Silly Love Songs," "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" and James Bond film theme song "Live and Let Die" made up the majority of the short 36-minute first set. "Eleanor Rigby" was perhaps the finest moment during the first set for the LPO to shine.
The much larger second set included only four McCartney solo songs: "Jet," "Bluebird," "Maybe I'm Amazed" and "My Love." The rest of the repertoire was strictly culled from the Beatles songbook with early selections like "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Can't Buy Me Love" and later songs like "Back in the U.S.S.R." and Obladi Oblada" from the "White Album" and "Golden Slumbers" from "Abbey Road." Two memorable highlights in which the LPO excelled were their play in fan favorites "Yesterday" and "Hey Jude."
When popular and classical music meet, there is usually a tendency for the popular to impose its will over the classical sensibilities. While conductor Martin Herman did a creditable job of leading the LPO through its limited paces, there was a feeling that were he and the orchestra to have an opportunity to play one song per set on their own, more new LPO fans might have been won over.
The next similar LPO event will be the May 20 concert with Zebra frontman Randy Jackson fronting for a tribute to Led Zeppelin. Whether that turns out to be a "Stairway to Heaven" or the other place remains to be seen and heard.
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