Conductor Daniel Meyer led the Asheville Symphony last Saturday evening at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in an all-Russian program. The trumpet flourish introducing Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s  Polonaise from his opera Eugene Onegin was an appropriate opening followed by Sergei Prokofiev’s “Concerto No. 2 in G minor for Piano and Orchestra, Opus 16” and Igor Stravinsky’s Petrushka.

Konstantin Soukhovetski was the piano soloist in the Prokofiev. The young Russian was every inch the dramatic and poetic performer. His comprehension of the formal layout of the concerto was a major factor in the success of his performance.

Soukhovetski delivered the alternating quiet and virtuosic passages with evidence of genuine insight. As the varying character of the music proceeded, the suspense that Prokofiev built into the concerto kept listeners attention at a high level. It was a dashing, yet authoritative, performance.

Lisa Sturz’s use of colorful towering puppets to mime the Petrushka characters provided a novel view of the ballet. Petrushka, the Ballerina, the Moor and the shadow of the Old Wizard were handled with great skill by their “live” crew to give a vivid sample of the ballet’s many confrontations and group dances.  

While one missed the appearance of Petrushka’s spirit over the roof after his death, his body remained on stage and got the point across. And, the orchestra gave a sparkling performance with plenty of rhythmic effervescence.

  
by John Bridges