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TICO And Cionco
By Eileen Wingard
jewishsightseeing.com, July 14, 2006
Richard Cionco’s rendition of Liszt’s Piano Concerto #2 was the highlight of TICO’s June 13 concert at Tifereth Israel Synagogue. The Sacramento-based pianist inspired the orchestra to give one its most professional performances to date. The orchestra accompanied Cionco with excellent intonation, rhythmic precision and musical fervor as it matched the power and flamboyance of this Liszt specialist. Principal cellist Evelyn Kooperman played her solo passages with beauty and confidence.
Cionco, on the music faculty of California State University Sacramento since 1993, was previously a Teaching Fellow at the Juilliard School in New York. One of his teachers was the great pianist Rudolf Firkusny. Cionco’s guest appearances have included recitals at the American Liszt Society Festival, playing Liszt’s complete Transcendental Etudes to rave reviews.
Valarie Morris’ Symphony of Light and Shadows, an early work of this prolific California woman composer, was performed after the intermission. The music seemed influenced by the impressionist style of Debussy. The second movement, "Breaking into afternoon sunshine" had Chinese-sounding pizzicatos with wood block and tambourine. "Curiously entering another zone" concluded with a lovely harp passage. The final movement, "Settling into tranquility," ended with a violin solo going up into the highest register, performed by concertmaster Juanita Cummins. David Amos led his ensemble in an admirable performance of this attractive 20th century work.
The TICO concert opened with a nicely executed Overture to The Secret Marriage by Cimarosa. Then followed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4, a challenging work for any orchestra. The syncopations, the exchange of phrase fragments between instruments, the dramatic dynamic contrasts, and the transparent solos create formidable difficulties. TICO could have used more rehearsal time focusing on details of rhythmic precision, tone quality and intonation in this Beethoven masterpiece.
Two symphonies on the same program, one an unfamiliar work, may have been overly ambitious. As a rule, professional orchestras program an overture, a concerto and a symphony on any one program. With the once-a-week rehearsal time of non-professional orchestras, it seems ill-advised to program more.
The outstanding performance of TICO on the Liszt proves
that the orchestra is capable of achieving very high standards. Under its
capable, amiable conductor, David Amos, may it continue to serve its players and
the community.
The next TICO concert is the Sunday matinee Annual Pops Concert on July 30.