10,000 Enjoy ‘Pops Night’ With Philadelphia Orchestra
by Marilyn Nason, The Post-Star, August 25, 1969
It was “pops night” at Saratoga Performing Arts Center Saturday night and the 10,000 lucky people who attended really got their money’s worth—the wonderful Philadelphia Orchestra, which can do no wrong regardless of the type of music; Arthur Fiedler, perhaps the best showman-conductor on the stage today, and Peter Nero, whose piano abilities are phenomenal. All that, a full program and two encores to boot.
Perhaps the one disappointment of the evening was the last-minute switch in program from the originally scheduled “Fantasy and Improvisations for Piano and Orchestra” by Peter Nero to selections from “West Side Story” and “I Got Rhythm” as substitutes.
For those who were privileged to attend Saturday morning’s rehearsal and heard the Nero “Improvisations,” this is a startling, avant garde work that should be programmed for another season at SPAC for sure. But the two substitutes, backed by Nero’s bass player, Gene Cherico and drummer Bobby Rosengarden, were excellent, showing what a talented, professional trio can really do. Nero is quite a pianist.
Backed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, he also played Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and this, too, was wonderful listening. Remainder of the program included Berlioz’s “Rakoczy March,” a somewhat unusual Carmen Ballet Suite, selections from “Man of La Mancha” and would you believe? three Beatles tunes—”Hey Jude,” “Yesterday” and “Eleanor Rigby.”
Needless to say, the evening was uptempo all the way and the big band-big brass sound emerged in typical Boston Pops fashion; under the baton of Mr. Fieldler. For the Beatles tunes, it was rock, jazz and swing all rolled into a delightful change-of-pace package.
As the applause continued, Fiedler returned for 2 encores, “Consider Yourself,” and “Up, Up and Away.”
Judging from the enthusiasm with which Nero was greeted Saturday night on SPAC’s stage, one might suggest he and his two fine musicians be considered for booking another year as special attraction in the theatre’s one-nighter series.
Yesterday, Judith Raskin, soprano, was guest soloist for an all-Viennese program under the masterful baton of Eugene Ormandy. Famed around the world as a lieder singer, Miss Raskin was thrilling in seven songs by Berg, then turned to Strauss’s Laughing Song from “Die Fledermaus.”
Mozart, Schubert, Korngold and other Richard and Johann Strauss works completed the program, with Mr. Ormandy adding his familiar parting “Saratoga Getaway” song to complete the fourth season for the Philadelphia Orchestra at SPAC, “Bahn Frei Polka,” now familiar as the closing work for each season.
Tonight a week-long series of specials begins with Oliver, Friends of Distinction and First Edition appearing onstage at 8:30.
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