Alejandro Funes / Roundup
Conductor Stephen P. Piazza led the Los Angeles Symphonic Winds yesterday on stage in the Performing Arts Center.
“Fables, Legends and Fantasies” was the theme of the afternoon.
The journey to middle earth began when excerpts from J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings” were read aloud before each movement to create a mythological ambiance.
The 100 piece ensemble, made up of amateur and professional musicians, leapt and frolicked through Johan de Meij’s 1984 symphony “Lord of the Rings,” a collection of five movements inspired by Tolkien’s book.
The centerpiece of these performances leading up to intermission was the musical portrait of Gandalf the Wizard.
From the thunder of the percussionists to the blows of the horns, it was as if Gandalf himself were on a horse galloping from the behind the tubas and into the aisles of the audience.
A well-harmonized symphony quickly acquired a split personality at the moment of playing Gollum. The story of Smeagol, a peaceful hobbit turned evil, was boldly told through exquisite jolts of instrumentation that gave the impression of two personas in one body.
Following intermission the group returned with “Powhatan’s Daughter” by John Philip Sousa. The legendary themed piece was a refreshing change of pace; it introduced the audience to Native American percussion beats against a military marching band backdrop.
A tragic love story, Suite from “The Legend of Alcobaca” enveloped the stage with feelings of yearning and eternal love.
It was the fourth movement, “Coronation of the Dead Queen,” that graced the afternoon with superb sounds of majestic brass and refined flutists.
As if awaking from a spell in celebratory fashion, the L.A. winds concluded their performance with the Berceuse and Finale from The Firebird by Igor Stavinsky, arranged by Richard Franko Goldman.
The L.A. Winds gave an impressive performance that proved they are among the growing number of nationally recognized community symphonies in the United States.
Maestro Piazza directed the symphony perfectly and adds a humorous, personal touch to the band.
The musical illumination presented by the L.A. winds is translated through the youngest and most senior members of the diverse wind ensemble, the performance “Fables, Legends and Fantasies” is among their best.
The Los Angeles Symphonic Winds performs in the Performing Arts Mainstage on Saturday. (Louie Heredia / Roundup)