Local music lovers were treated to an entertaining concert Feb. 17 presented by the Iola Area Symphony Orchestra. Led by conductor Dr. Gregory Turner, the theme was What Does the Clarinet Say? The featured artist was Dr. Jeffrey Anderson, the music instructor at Allen Community College. Dr. Anderson has a doctorate in Clarinet Performance and was given a chance to showcase his skills in the afternoon program.
The first half of the concert was Mozarts Clarinet Concerto in A, a 25-minute piece for solo clarinet and orchestra in three movements, Allegro, Adagio and Rondo.
Dr. Anderson played the entire piece from memory and received a standing ovation at the conclusion of the concerto. He gave a masterful performance, producing warm, buttery tones from his clarinet that ranged from the deep lower register to the bright higher octaves. In the Allegro, he navigated through numerous arpeggios with a confident sense of rhythm and tonal placement. In the Adagio, he brought out the full expressiveness of his instruments warm tone, and then closed with a shorter Rondo where he and the orchestra joined together on a bright and bouncy melody.
AFTER intermission the orchestra had its chance to shine in the four numbers of the second act. The first was Rhapsody in Blue, George Gershwins famous composition blending orchestral and jazz music. The piece begins with the famous and showy two-and-one-half octave clarinet glissando played by Dr. Anderson, and then each section of the orchestra got a chance to take the musical lead throughout the piece. You could feel the energy and enthusiasm from the orchestra as they each got their turn with the melodic line passing from section to section.
The second piece was a shortened adaptation of Prokofievs Peter and the Wolf, where the story of Peter catching the wolf is narrated while the orchestra underscores the story, playing a different thematic melody for Peter, the wolf, cat, duck and bird. The piece was strongly and confidently narrated by our new Bowlus Director, Daniel Kays. Mr. Kays professional theatrical background was evident in his clear narration and animated delivery, heightening the story with his clever re-enactment of the various characters.
Next up was the Clarinet Polka, a lively tune featuring four clarinets. Dr. Turner shared with the audience that he had wanted to bring it to the orchestra for years, but only now had the opportunity since he had the requisite four clarinets on hand to play it.
The concert closed with Ravels Bolero, his most popular and well-known composition. The piece begins with a steady drum beat underneath a Middle-Eastern-style melody that is passed from instrument to instrument, gradually increasing in volume throughout to its final climactic ending. The difficult, intricate solos provided a challenging opportunity for all areas to shine. It provided a fitting ending to an entertaining afternoon of music.
