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More Accolades for the Symphony
updated: Jan 20, 2013, 9:35 PM

Gerry Shepherd

Outstanding music from the Santa Barbara Symphony at the Granada this weekend. Conductor Nir Kabaretti, on stage, defining the first piece by Takemitsu, "How slow the Wind" from the 3-line poem by Emily Dickinson: "How slow the wind, How slow the sea, How Late their feathers be." set the tone for a moody rendition showing just how powerful a small orchestra can be. Kabaretti explained the similarity between Debussy's work and that of Takemitsu with a few bars of like notes to illustrate for us what we would hear in Takemitsu's work.

We were then treated to Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante, with soloists Glenn Dicterow, Violin and Cynthia Phelps, Viola. Again, a lovely, soothing blend of string and wind. Following intermission, the uplifting Mendelssohn symphony No. 3 in A minor, Op. 56, "Scottish" finished off the evening.

Thanks to EdHat we enjoyed perfect center seats, eye-level to the stage. Unfortunately, even with three drop-line pick-up mikes strategically placed, the sound quality in the Granada is just not conducive to orchestration productions. One can enjoy the music in one plane only because it never travels beyond the stage out into the audience. I witnessed this at the Granada's grand re-opening and am sorry to say it is an ongoing problem they need to address to become a truly first class musical venue. Having said that, the Santa Barbara Symphony is still a wonderful class act and a joy to hear.

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