Houston Symphony opens Fairy Tales Festival with Al-Zand’s ‘Ingenious Clocks’ premiere, Lamsma captivates with Korngold’s ‘Violin Concerto’

CONCERT REVIEW:

Houston Symphony
March 14, 15 & 16, 2025
Jones Hall
Houston, Texas – USA
Houston Symphony, Juraj Valčuha, conductor; Simone Lamsma, violin; Houston Symphony Chorus, Julia Hall, interim director .
Karim AL-ZAND: Al-Jazari’s Ingenious Clocks (Houston Symphony commission, World Premiere)
Erich KORNGOLD: Violin Concerto (1945)
Sergei PROKOFIEV: Suite No. 1 from Cinderella, Op. 107 (1945)

Lawrence Wheeler | 16 MAR 2025

Friday evening, Houston Symphony Music Director Juraj Valčuha led the first concert of a “Fairy Tales Festival” at Jones Hall. Included was the world premiere of a new work by Houston composer Karim Al-Zand and the Violin Concerto of Erich Korngold with Dutch violinist Simone Lamsma. Rounding out the program was Prokofiev’s Suite No. 1 from his ballet Cinderella. All three pieces are unified by visual references—design, movies, and ballet.

Composer Karim Al-Zand. (alzand.com)

Ismail al-Jazari was an inventor, mechanical engineer, and artist. He was born in the Golden Age of Islam, a 500-year period of scientific, economic, and cultural flourishing that predated the European Renaissance by two centuries. Leonardo Da Vinci was inspired by his work and used it in his inventions. Known today as the “Father of Robotics,” al-Jazari’s most famous invention is the Elephant Clock, one of several fantastically designed clocks.

Music is sound in time. Al-Jazari’s Ingenious Clocks is time in sound. Al-Zand says “the sequence of three scenes (played without pause) mingles together imagery inspired by the magnificent clocks. The elements that drive the magnificent clocks are fire, water, and air. The kinetic forces they manifest are rhythm, momentum, and acceleration.” Al-Zand’s orchestration and idiomatic instrumental writing creates a dense and varied fabric of sound. Cello, viola, and flute solos were featured, along with the percussion section, the orchestral component most associated with rhythm and time. Valčuha led a fine performance with his customary attention to detail.

Last year, I heard Al-Zand’s Quartet #4, “Strange Machines,” commissioned by the Balourdet Quartet. I cannot recall any new work I have enjoyed more on first hearing. Tonight’s new work is for the much greater forces of a full orchestra. The 15-minute auspicious premiere went quickly, inviting a second hearing.

Korngold’s Violin Concerto uses melodies from four of his Hollywood movie scores written in the late 1930s. Ranging from lyrically romantic to swashbuckling excitement, this music evokes a time of optimism and happy endings. Violinist Simone Lamsma transported us to that time with a performance of uncommon sensitivity and virtuosity. Her wide range of tone colors expressed tender feelings and vulnerable emotions. With violin held high and firmly placed bow strokes, she portrayed confidence. High finger-twisting passages, double-stops, and large shifts were played with stunning accuracy. Her first movement cadenza was the epitome of bow control. Technical precision is a given with world-class soloists today — less common are performances that transcend time and space.

With the supportive direction of Juraj Valčuha and the excellent collaboration of the orchestra, the results were magical. Highlights included French horn and cello solos played by William VerMeulen and Brinton Smith. Lamsma was as involved with the orchestral tuttis as she was with her own part, including a duet with concertmaster Yoonshin Song near the end.

Following several curtain calls, Lamsma played the 4th movement from Eugène Ysaÿe’s Violin Sonata No. 2. The Dies Irae melody that appears throughout the movement was in dark contrast to the Korngold, giving added dimension to this artist.

Juraj Valčuha (jurajvalcuha.com)

Prokofiev’s Cinderella ballet followed his success with Romeo and Juliet. The eight movements feature 18th-century dance forms expressed by Prokofiev’s beautiful melodies and interesting modulations. Valčuha led an excellent performance. Of interest was his evolving conducting style — his beat patterns are rounder and more horizontal when encouraging expression from the orchestra. He often used his left hand to indicate nuances of vibrato and texture, eliciting positive responses from the orchestra.

Solo clarinet, bassoon, and piccolo contribute to the colorful score. A long spiccato passage was excellently played by the first violins. As midnight approaches, we hear the tick-tock of a clock followed by twelve chimes of midnight. This brought full circle the time references in this most enjoyable concert. ■

This program was repeated Saturday night and will be again Sunday afternoon.

EXTERNAL LINKS:

Houston Symphony: houstonsymphony.org
Juraj Valčuha: jurajvalcuha.com
Simone Lamsma: simonelamsma.com
Karim Al-Zand: simonelamsma.com

About the author:

Lawrence Wheeler was a music professor for 44 years. He has served as principal viola with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, and Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, and guest principal with the Dallas and Houston symphonies. He has given recitals in London, New York, Reykjavik, Mexico City and Houston, and performed with the Tokyo, Pro Arte and St. Lawrence string quartets and the Mirecourt Trio. His concert reviews have been published online on The Classical Review and Slipped Disc.

Read more by Lawrence Wheeler.