PERFORMING ARTS

BSO With Leon Fleisher And Katherine Jacobson

Friday night at Meyerhoff Hall, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra took on the refined, forceful character of a top European ensemble. Under the leadership of Guenther Herbig, the orchestra presented Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 7, assisted by celebrated pianists Leon Fleisher and Katherine Jacobson, and Bruckner's Symphony No. 7.

Herbig, a stately presence, guided the BSO toward absolute cleanliness and brilliant, burnished strings in the Mozart. They provided a worthy backdrop for the consummate musicianship of Fleisher. Since his return in 1995 from a debilitating hand affliction, Fleisher has provided a reminder of how fortunate his recovery is with each performance. The tenderness, joy, and vivacity with which Mozart imbued the two-piano concerto were abundantly clear, its formal majesty expertly hewn. Fleisher's combination of sensitivity and vigor is difficult to match, but Jacobson, his wife, proved an able partner. Their ensemble was precise and exciting, with seamless, energetic trading of phrases.

In the Bruckner, climactic washes of warm sound bolstered by Wagner tubas and trembling strings awed the audience. Herbig was impressive, but often shortsighted and severe. After a thoughtfully shaped opening, crescendos built alarmingly quickly and lyricism waned. The second movement, intended as a requiem for Richard Wagner, came across as more tense than elegiac. The third and fourth movements were more effective, the contrast between the scherzo and the trio in the former particularly fresh. One hopes that in the future the BSO will retain the polish inspired by Herbig, but hold fast to its characteristic dynamism and warmth that were missed in this piece.

-- Ronni Reich

Darin Atwater and the Soulful Symphony at Strathmore

For someone slight of stature, Darin Atwater was a huge presence at the goings-on at Strathmore on Friday. He may have been a modest figure on the podium as he presided over the world premiere of his "Paint Factory," a 90-minute hip-hop symphony/oratorio for orchestra (his own Soulful Symphony), chorus, rap trio, vocalists and dancers, but: Not only the music but also the lyrics and the orchestrations were his; he accompanied himself on the piano for two lyrical song movements and led it all with the sort of understated command that preserved order and a modicum of restraint in a context that had a feeling of boundless joy and energy.

The piece is organized in 16 movements, a short orchestral "Intro" and an "Outro," a pair of Arab- and African-influenced dance movements and 12 movements named for colors, each associated with themes such as "Desire," "Equality," "Optimism" and "Royalty." Atwater's idiom is a comfortable amalgam of classical, (non-gangsta) rap, blues, jazz and gospel, and while there are moments that seem improvisatory (the sax has some wonderful opportunities), most of the music is carefully structured and cleanly orchestrated.

The performances were great. The orchestra, with the strings on stage right and everyone else stage left, was able to deliver on the small details when needed but also could revel in the broad expanse of Atwater's emotional language. The members of the chorus, well miked and singing without scores, poured their bodies as well as their voices into the spirit of the music. Vocalists Cynthia Renée and Shaun Mykals handled their songs sensitively. The dancing was vivid and powerful, Dontae Winslow brought cheers for his exuberant trumpet solos, and the rap group M.E.P brought the audience to its feet.

-- Joan Reinthaler