A MUSICIAN FIRST—BELL WITH BPO

Concert Review, Buffalo Philharmonic, March 25, 2014 (Buffalo Spree)

In 1806 settlers from the Holland Land Company at what is now Niagara Square were building New Amsterdam -- what would two years later be renamed Buffalo.  In that same year, across the grey Atlantic, Ludwig van Beethoven penned his famous Heiligenstadt Testament in which he railed against his deafness and declared his intention to defy the cruel fates. 

Existing musical form would no longer contain his exploding genius as Beethoven sacrificed all convention to the altar of self-expression.   Among the first works to be completed in this "heroic" period was his Violin Concerto.  Last night, a mere 206 years later, about 3000 of New Amsterdam’s progeny filled Kleinhans Music Hall to hear the Concerto, performed by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra led by Maximiano Valdes and featuring Joshua Bell as guest soloist.    

Five throbbing timpani beats began the Concerto, and a woodwind chorale was followed by strings as the primary themes were introduced.  The BPO sounded well-rehearsed and …