Music Reviews

Oct 11, 2004 - Daniel Khalikov, Barry Jekowsky and the Reno Phil pay special tribute to Jack Fegely

By Jack Neal

The finest tribute to anyone is the legacy they leave. Provided, of course, the legacy is as remarkable as creating a golden age of symphonic music for a city or region. Perhaps more than any other single person Jack Fegely - the late, great benefactor of the Reno Philharmonic - is responsible for elevating an already good orchestra to the upper echelons of top-rung American regional orchestras.

That is where the Reno Philharmonic is and Jack Fegely was instrumental in promoting that success. A man of infinitely good taste in music, Mr. Fegely also had the keen business and political sense to intuitively get things done the right way. The arrival in Reno of conductor Barry Jekwosky is part of Mr. Fegely's legacy. He made it happen and Jekowsky has done marvelous things for the Reno Phiharmonic. Under Jekowsky's leadership a Reno Philharmonic concert is as exciting a concertgoing experience as one is likely to find anywhere.

It's appropriate that the second concert of the Reno Philharmonic's current subscription season be a special tribute to a very special person. Indeed all Reno Philharmoinc concerts will be a tribute to Mr. Fegely. His impact has been that great. Sadly, he passed away September 28th. He will be missed.

Paying special homage at both Sunday afternoon's concert (10/11/04) and Tuesday evening's repeat concert, the orchestra and piano soloist are playing the second movement of Rachmaninoff's Concerto No. 2 for Piano and Orchestra, one of Mr. Fegely's symphonic favorites. Pianist Rachel Ing is the soloist and she is a refined artist, played rhapsodically and is quite superb, as is the orchestra. Rachel Ing is in her twenties, a local artist, and is a real find.

The ultimate tribute for Jack Fegely's love for the Reno Philharmonic is that the Rachmaninoff did not stand alone as the concert's only sublime moment. Impeccably prepared, then inspired by the passion of a conductor whose eloquent musicianship is always revelatory and thrilling, the orchestra sailed through its program of Mozart's Symphony No. 66, Beethoven's Symphony No. 8, and Saint-Saens' Violin Concerto No. 2, with splendid results.

The temperament of Uzbekistan violinist Daniel Khalikov fits the clean, transparent designs of the Saint-Saens to perfection. Elegance is important for this concerto.and Khalikov has loads of that. A dazzling techinque helps and Khalikov dazzles consistently. His rich, full-bodied sound is drop-dead gorgeous and gives Saint Saens' luscious music the rapture and drama it needs to electrify. Jekowsky and the orchestra do the rest for a glowing encounter with one of the world's most beloved violin concertos.

The concerto is sandwiched between the eloquent and easy listening of the Mozart and Beethoven symphonies. Opening with the classically refined Mozart, then closing with the power and effervescence of the Beethoven gives the program a buoyancy and allure that makes for exciting listening.

The orchestra's strings are sounding grand, although this time without regular concertmaster Phillip Ruder. Roy Malan is Mr. Ruder's standin and he's always a gifted and welcome leader for Reno orchestras. Kudos also for the rich sounds and technical assurance of the brasses and woodwinds, and the astute tympani work of Tyler Mack.

The concert will be repeated Tuesday (10/12/04) at 7:30 p.m. Reno Philharmonic subscription concerts are played at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts, 100 S. Virginia Street, Reno, Nevada. The orchestra's next series of concerts will be November 14 and 16 (2004) and will feature Theofanidis's "Rainbow Body," Elgar's Cello Concerto with cellist Alisa Weilerstein and Ravel's orchestral arrangement of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition." For information about Reno Philharmoinic Concerts and events call 775-323-6393.