A bow gallops with Gypsy-like abandon at SPAC

by Edward French, The Knickerbocker News, August 22, 1974

THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA, EUGENE ORMANDY conducting, with SILVIA MARCOVICI, violin, and VIRGIL FOX, organ at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Wednesday evening

While there wasn’t anything new or strikingly different, this program of music by Respighi, Tchaikovsky and Saint-Saëns provided ample opportunity to hear the vaunted “Philadelphia Sound.”

This was particularly true in Respighi’s “The Fountains of Rome,” a vividly colored piece of tonal landscape painting. As both Ormandy and orchestra were in good form, we were given some of the most ravishing sounds imaginable. The various tonal tints were so persuasively projected one could almost feel the water. This was music that caressed the ears.

Silvia Marcovici, a young, very gifted Romanian violinist, made her SPAC bow with the formidable Tchaikovsky Concerto in D. A first-class technique, imagination, good tone and plenty of temperament made for a more than satisfactory debut.

Her first movement was spaciously conceived with plenty of rubato and several shifts in tempo. Double stops were good, and the cadenza was brilliant. Her harmonics were exceptional.

A Gypsy-like abandon made the last movement gallop along to a dazzling conclusion, winning an ovation from the capacity audience.

Ormandy’s sensitive accompaniment made one realize why so many artists prefer to make their recordings with him.

Virgil Fox joined the Philadelphians in the creation of some super sonorities in the Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 in C minor. There is a slightly dated tinge to this romantic but well-crafted opus, as there is with most of his music these days. The organ is not used as a display instrument but rather as an integral part of the orchestra, enhancing the sound.

There is lots of melody, some of it almost too sugary, but Ormandy’s good taste avoided any over-ripeness in that direction.

Virgil Fox did everything he was supposed to do, including almost blowing the roof off the amphitheater. It was by far the loudest ending to any piece heard this season!

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