Parts were good...

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra continued its traversal of the music of Beethoven and Bernstein while adding a punch of contemporary music by Michael Kurth, ASO double bass player and composer. Kurth’s Fanfare for Orchestra was written in 2011 to mark the tenth anniversary of Robert Spano's tenure as Music Director. This four-minute piece is brass and percussion driven, full of energy and color. In this performance, as the brass became louder, the sounds of the other sections of the orchestra receded; the violins were bowing furiously while hardly a note of their playing could be heard. It’s unclear if this was the composer’s intent or Maestro Spano’s direction. Kurth has grown tremendously as a composer over the past eight years and his recent works are a combination of lyrical themes contrasted with dissonant aggressiveness. The ASO is rightfully supportive of his work, which it will record in May. This should help ensure that this emerging talent receives a wider, well-deserved audience.  For the complete review, go here:  https://bachtrack.com/review-bernstein-beethoven-mcduffie-spano-atlanta-april-2018