Music Reviews : Glendale Symphony

A program pairing popular Italian opera arias with Stravinsky’s complete ballet score to “Petrushka” may have mixed apples and oranges, but Lalo Schifrin and the Glendale Symphony brought them together in a satisfying blend, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

Tenor Keith Ikaia-Purdy and soprano Geraldine McMillian were the young soloists in duets from Puccini operas, “O soave fanciulla” from “La Boheme” and “Viene la sera” from “Madama Butterfly.” Another duet, “Parigi, o cara” from Verdi’s “La Traviata,” completed the set; all three received sensitive, attentive performances Sunday night.

McMillian commands shimmering high notes, her singing steadied with careful attention to nuance, though she sings lower notes with considerably less volume. In contrast, Ikaia-Purdy’s vibrant voice moves less gracefully than McMillian’s but is more powerful.

When the two voices were combined, noticeable struggles to maintain balance occured. Dramatic gestures by the two also added less to the presentation than perhaps desired, though they were not distracting.

The Stravinsky proved more of a challenge to Schifrin, who gave the score a steady, tidy reading. Although cues sometimes lacked crispness, the music proceeded seamlessly, bringing out the wealth of orchestral colors and difficult rhythms. Pianist Chester Swiatkowski performed the prominent piano part with skill and intelligent insight. The rest of the ensemble responded tentatively at times, but never failed to impress.

Opening the program was a cautious but accurate performance of Dukas’ “L’Apprenti Sorcier.”