Gemma New receives praise for Milwaukee Symphony debut

Gemma New conducted the Milwaukee Symphony on February 29 and March 1, 2020

Milwaukee Symphony opens concert with musical tribute to Molson Coors shooting victims
By Elaine Schmidt
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
March 1, 2020

Playing the Pabst Theater Saturday evening, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor Gemma New opened the concert with a departure from the printed program.

Offering a contemplative performance of the Air from Bach’s Orchestral Suite in D major, ("Air on the G String"), they honored the victims, families and those affected by the shootings at the Molson Coors brewery Wednesday.

After a request that no applause follow the piece, the final notes were met with silence as profound and moving as the piece itself.

Turning to the planned program, New led the ensemble through animated performances of Igor Stravinsky’s “Danses concertantes” for chamber orchestra, and Maurice Ravel’s Suite of Five Pieces from “Ma Mere l’Oye” ("Mother Goose") on the program’s first half.

Beethoven’s Concerto in D major for violin and orchestra, featuring violinist Anthony Marwood, filled the concert’s second half.

New and the orchestra supported Marwood’s dynamic choices and musical nuances, letting the piece’s biggest orchestral sounds and emotions soar.  

Opening with the Stravinsky, New and the orchestra captured the grace, subtle wit and shifting colors of the tonal pieces, finding a perfect balance between simplicity and complexity of the five movements, and capturing the distinct characters of each of the five dances.

The orchestra-friendly acoustics of the Pabst put Ravel’s colorful “Ma Mere” orchestrations in the spotlight.

Ravel's composition is also built of five movements, each quite distinct in its character. New and the orchestra brought vivid characters and moods to each movement, including an achingly beautiful “Pavane of the Sleeping Beauty,” bright, ringing statements in “Laideronnette, Empress of the Pagodas,” and musically rich, beautifully textured rendition of the chorale-like “Enchanted Garden.” 

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