In Wednesday’s (5/26) Napa Valley Register (California), L. Pierce Carson writes, “A neglected Hebraic cello rhapsody and folk themes from eastern Europe provided the foundation for the Napa Valley Symphony Orchestra’s season-closing concert at Lincoln Theater Sunday afternoon. A full house turned out to bid farewell to maestro Asher Raboy as he brought the baton down on two decades as music director/conductor of the polished, first-rate wine country orchestra. All hands were richly rewarded. Maestro Raboy invited outstanding young cellist Zuill Bailey to take the spotlight with Ernest Bloch’s ‘Schelomo’ and wrapped up his tenure with a rousing reading of the work he conducted for his on-stage audition some 20 years ago, Maurice Ravel’s orchestration of the fiery ‘Pictures at an Exhibition.’ Getting things off to a marvelous start was no problem for conductor and players. … The maestro wasn’t the only one who was verklempt as he hugged the soloist at the conclusion of the [Bloch] work. A cheering audience prompted maestro and artist to offer a well-deserved encore—‘Love Song for Marguerite,’ a truly loving tribute by the conductor/composer to his late mother, warmly played by soloist and ensemble.”
Posted May 26, 2010
