The 99th season of the Madison Symphony Orchestra concluded with a Gershwin-packed weekend featuring Cuban Overture, Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, and selections from Porgy and Bess. We were thrilled to welcome pianist Philippe Bianconi, soprano Michelle Johnson, and baritone Eric Greene as guest soloists, as well as feature our very own Madison Symphony Chorus! We were also excited to feature some pre-show entertainment from a variety of performers from the Four Seasons Theatre and Steve Kurr as our Prelude speaker! Check out photos and reviews below!
Gershwin, Gershwin and more Gershwin closes the MSO’s 99th season
By Matt Ambrosio // Cap Times
Without costumes and sets, the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s tribute to “Porgy and Bess” may not have looked like the opera — but it sounded and felt like it, owing to the transportive power of the soloists.
To close its 99th season, the MSO has programmed all George Gershwin, with pieces that reflect his mature compositional style: the “Cuban Overture,” Piano Concerto in F major, and “Porgy and Bess: a Concert of Songs.” The MSO will play twice more this weekend, on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. in Overture Hall.
These final concerts of his penultimate season as music director seem special to maestro John DeMain, as he reconnects with pianist Philippe Bianconi, frequent guest of the MSO, and flexes his well-conditioned “Porgy and Bess” muscles. DeMain has conducted over 400 performances of the show, for which he won Grammy and Tony Awards in 1977.
For “Porgy and Bess: a Concert of Songs,” the MSO was joined by soloists Michelle Johnson and Eric Greene, as well as the Madison Symphony Chorus, directed by Beverly Taylor.
John DeMain and Porgy and Bess
By Bill Wineke // Madison Independent Arts Review
People can argue whether this weekend’s all Gershwin program of the Madison Symphony Orchestra is the best of music director John DeMain’s three-plus decade career, but a real case can be made that it is the most fun.
“Porgy and Bess” is DeMain’s signature opera. He even won Grammy and Tony awards for conducting the classic Gershwin opera and has led orchestras around the country, including a nationally televised Metropolitan Opera production.
So, he was having a lot of fun leading the MSO and singers Michelle Johnson and Eric Greene in the concert version of the opera Friday night.
Greene sang the title role of Tosca in the Madison Opera’s 2023 production.
The baritone and soprano were backed not only by the MSO but by the Madison Symphony Chorus, which made the whole performance something of a gala and everyone seemed more than into it, including a couple of cellists.
But no one was more into it than the conductor, who was singing along for the entire 40-minute performance. I don’t know if DeMain was singing out loud, but his lips were certainly moving.
And, actually, the entire audience was in on the action. No one was singing except the performers but almost everyone seemed to feel a part of the evening.
Just to explain how powerful the second half – the “Porgy and Bess” half was, we have gotten this far into the story without mentioning pianist Philippe Bianconi, who was the soloist for Gershwin’s “Concerto in F.”
Bianconi is not only one of the world’s best pianists, he is one of the MSO’s most popular soloists. This weekend marks his seventh appearance with the orchestra.
On a normal weekend, Bianconi alone could fill Overture Hall.
And, to be honest, several people did leave at intermission, suggesting that, while most people like a Gershwin tune, the pianist has his own fan club here.
But, again, much of the enjoyment for this concert comes from observing just how much joy DeMain seems to find in conducting it. It was contagious.
The concert will be repeated at 7:30 Saturday and at 2:30 Sunday.
Hear what the audience had to say…
“Bianconi was amazing. Porgy and Bess – unforgettable.”
“We are so blessed to have this caliber of performance in a city the size of Madison – larger cities can be jealous!”
“The music was played beautifully. The pre-show talk by Steve Kurr was wonderful and really helped us appreciate the music we heard. I would definitely attend any future prelude discussions he does.”
“It was lovely to see Maestro Demain having such a good time singing along with the singers in Porgy & Bess.”
“Watching John’s interactions with both the pianist and the vocal artists. He is so fabulous about that. And John knows Gershwin so well. I grew up in the 50’s and 60’s when Gershwin, Bernstein, Scott Joplin and others were breaking tradition on the musical stage, so it’s ingrained in my mind. I also was singing along with Porgy & Bess – having worked with this production in Indianapolis and other places. I wish we could produce it in Madison. I’ve mentioned it to John many times. I appreciate Gershwin’s use of the clarinet in his pieces, and MSO’s clarinetist is especially good. Please thank him for me. Also, like Gershwin’s use of woodwinds in general. He’s a master. I was totally involved with the entire performance.”
