In Monday’s (4/2) Kansas City Star, Timothy L. McDonald writes, “The Kansas City Symphony continued to make waves in the inaugural season of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, by premiering its second new commission of the year. Friday night’s performance in Helzberg Hall also marked the return of virtuoso pianist Yefim Bronfman. Friday marked the world premiere of American composer Daniel Kellogg’s ‘Water Music.’ The work suggests a nod to George Frideric Handel’s composition of the same name. … The work also refers to Kansas City—the City of Fountains. The opening movement, ‘Battling Torrents,’ represented the Plaza’s J. C. Nichols Fountain with its four equestrian figures. Strong, crisp rhythms and piquant harmonies characterized the section. The slower central movement, ‘Muse of the Missouri,’ opened with gentle and ethereal string and percussion. Its model was the fountain of the same name in downtown Kansas City. The finale, ‘Cascades,’ was inspired by the Bloch Fountain in front of Union Station. … The evening ended with Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 in C, nicknamed the ‘Jupiter’ Symphony. Music director Michael Stern led a lustrous and elegantly styled performance, with powerful outer movements and an elegant and graceful slow movement.”
Posted April 2, 2012
