Concert review: Memphis Symphony, guest violinist stage superb show

Auditioning this week for the job of MSO conductor, Robert Moody says he prefers "a few new works given many performances rather than a thousand works given only one.''

That first perfect note coming out of Karen Gomyo's Stradivarius was just a taste.

What followed at Saturday night's Memphis Symphony Orchestra concert was the young violinist's take on the Sibelius Violin Concerto, a challenging and gorgeous piece that Gomyo performed with fire and sensitivity.

Auditioning this week for the job of MSO conductor, Robert Moody says he prefers "a few new works given many performances rather than a thousand works given only one.''

It was a splendid combination all around. The concerto is dark yet vibrant with life, the performer showed mastery of the considerable technical demands as well as playing with emotional fullness. The "Ex Foulis" Stradivarius she used was a thrill to hear, and the MSO was in top form.

This was also a big night for guest conductor Robert Moody, one of the four candidates to replace maestro David Loebel as conductor of the MSO. He's led the orchestra in past years, mostly pops concerts. This weekend he's showing his chops in big programming and chose an appealing blend to stir in with the Sibelius.

Opening the evening was Christopher Theofanidis' "Rainbow Body," a piece only a decade old but already frequently played by orchestras. It's a delight, grounded in a medieval theme but utterly contemporary and fresh. Moody brought out the textures in a vivid performance by the MSO.

The second half of the evening offered Mozart's Symphony No. 35 ("Haffner"), which might well be the piece you'd transmit to aliens if you could only put one symphony on your celestial iPod. The MSO's performance would be a good one to send as well -- it was seamless, delicate and strong.

The evening ended with Richard Strauss' Suite from Der Rosenkavalier, a robust piece of sweet waltzes, soaring passages and lots of sweaty bombast. And I bet Strauss would approve.

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