November 7 and 9(m), 2025
“Shall We Dance?”
Jones Hall
Houston, Texas – USA
Houston Symphony, Gonzalo Farias, conductor.
Claude DEBUSSY, Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune (“Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun”) (1894)
Alberto GINASTERA, Variaciones Concertantes, op. 23 (1953)
Georges ENESCU, Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 (1901)
Gabriela ORTIZ, Antrópolis (2019)
Paul HINDEMITH, Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber (1943)
Lawrence Wheeler | 10 NOV 2025
Saturday evening at Jones Hall, Houston Symphony associate conductor Gonzalo Farias led a program of five stylistically diverse works spanning 125 years, written by composers of five nationalities. It was Farias’s second subscription concert appearance, following his last-minute replacement of the ailing conductor Juanjo Mena last month. Tonight was an opportunity for him to again prove his mettle while assisting a number of symphony musicians in solo roles. The concert was high school night, with many young people in attendance.
The program began with Debussy’s tone poem Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. Although written in 1894, it is considered the first great work of the twentieth century. Inspired by the poem of the same name by Stéphane Mallarmé, it has nothing to do with a baby deer, but with the erotic musings of a faun—a mythological creature that is half man and half goat. Being a descendant of Pan, he plays a pan flute. Consequently, the piece begins with a solo flute, expressively and stylishly played by principal flute Aralee Dorough.
The first third of the piece primarily features the winds, with tone colors shifting seamlessly between flute, oboe, and clarinet. Oboist Jonathan Fischer offered exquisite phrasing and dynamic control. The middle section features a lushly sensual melody in the winds, followed by strings and dual harps, which sounded ethereal in the hall. A solo by concertmaster Yoonshin Song was pristine but did not project well. Following a reprise of the flute melody, harp, pairs of French horns, and antique cymbal conclude the piece as the faun goes back to sleep. Farias led an unhurried interpretation, drawing the listener into the impressionistic and mythological world within the score, though Debussy’s suspension of clock time might have been better served by using larger beat patterns with fewer subdivisions.
Along with Astor Piazzolla, Alberto Ginastera is the most famous Argentine composer. His Variaciones concertantes is a theme and eleven variations featuring multiple solo instruments, either alone or in pairs. The score contains some of the most challenging music in the orchestral repertoire. Though the piece was originally written for chamber orchestra, Farias opted to use the full ensemble. Even with larger forces, the ensemble remained tight.
The Houston Symphony is a virtuoso ensemble—special recognition in such a piece is a virtual roll call. The opening cello and harp theme was elegantly played by Brinton Smith and Allegra Lilly. Following a sensitive string interlude, a sprightly flute solo was joyfully tossed off by Dorough. Principal clarinet Mark Nuccio flawlessly executed the fiendishly difficult Scherzo, which contains more notes per square inch than a Paganini caprice. The dramatic viola solo was eloquently played by Joan DerHovsepian, who navigated the notoriously difficult double stops with aplomb. Fischer joined bassoonist Rian Craypo in a lyrical and tonally expressive canon.
The rhythmic and concise seventh variation for trumpet and trombone was brilliantly performed by John Parker and Nick Platoff. The eighth “Moto perpetuo” variation was cleanly and energetically played by Song. The pastoral French horn variation was given a sonorous and hall-filling sound by William VerMeulen. The following woodwind interlude was well-balanced and tuned. Principal bass Robin Kesselman and principal harp Lilly gave an intimate reprise of the theme—in what may be the first time ever that a married couple performed these parts together on stage. After supporting the preceding soloists, Farias had his own turn at virtuosic display by vigorously leading the final Rondo with precision and rhythmic punctuation.
Geoges Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 is his most popular work. Composed when he was only nineteen, it is the work of a musical genius. The essence of the dance, it includes folk songs, a village band, gypsy-style fiddling, and a melody originally for pan flute.
Farias led a quasi-improvisatory opening with oboe and clarinet, artfully played by Anne Leek and Ben Freimuth, then carefully sculpted an upper-strings melody. A well-projected viola solo by DerHovsepian followed this. Quick shifts of tempo and mood were well navigated by Farias, while unexpected brass outbursts and humorous piccolo interjections added to the fun. As the kaleidoscopic orchestration increasingly induced toe tapping, Farias drove the music to its whirling conclusion.
Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz is taking the classical music world by storm. Just today, recordings of her music received three Grammy Award nominations, including Best Contemporary Classical Composition, a category she has previously won. This evening was the Houston Symphony premiere of Antrópolis, completed in 2019. The piece is a mambo-fied synthesis of the music of the antros, or dance halls, of Mexico City—in particular, four that are part of Ortiz’s memory. Making extensive use of percussion, it begins with a long timpani cadenza suavely played by Leonardo Soto (a nice preview of his upcoming solo in a Houston Symphony–commissioned concerto next March). Featuring complex syncopated rhythms, the piece is an orchestral tour de force. Shifting colors remain rhythmic throughout, sweeping the listener up in its kinetic energy. Farias adroitly led a compelling performance.
German-American composer Paul Hindemith was also well known as a concert violist and conductor. He fled Nazi Germany in 1938 before emigrating to the U.S. in 1940. Based on the music of Carl Maria von Weber, the Symphonic Metamorphosis is his most popular work. It began life as a ballet but changed course following artistic differences with the choreographer. The four movements are based on traditional forms and have steady tempi, setting this work apart from the previous pieces. The music, while tonal, is further distinguished by its use of seconds, fourths, and sevenths rather than the more traditional thirds and sixths.
The first movement is a sturdy duple-meter dance. Again in duple meter, the second movement “Scherzo” begins quietly with a folksy melody played by flute and piccolo, then joined by clarinets. It is passed from section to section countless times, eventually intensified by running triplets. A jazzier middle section features trombone, French horn, timpani, and English horn passing around the new motif. By the end, it becomes a hypnotic mantra.
The third movement, “Andantino,” is a tender lullaby, far removed from the previous two movements. Gentle wind solos are echoed by the strings. The final seventeen measures feature a fleet flute solo, nimbly played by Dorough. The final movement, “Marsch,” is, of course, in two. It develops into a joyful, brass-laden chorus for the full orchestra.
The Houston Symphony was brilliant all evening. Farias chose ideal tempi throughout. Fast tempi were clear, and lyrical melodies maintained sufficient forward motion. His interpretation showed clarity of concept with elevated execution. The orchestra responded well, with excellent results. He did indeed prove his mettle. For this young conductor, the future looks bright.
Following the applause, Fischer held a microphone to give a tribute to the retiring husband-and-wife duo of Aralee Dorough, principal flute for 35 years, and Colin Gatwood, oboist for 32 years. Their contributions to the Houston Symphony are beyond measure, and they will be greatly missed.
This program was repeated Sunday afternoon, along with a livestream simulcast. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Houston Symphony: houstonsymphony.org
- Gonzalo Farias: gonzalo-farias.com
Read more by Lawrence Wheeler.
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