Chamber Orchestra dares to dance in next concert

Thomas Wilson designed the upcoming Chamber Orchestra of the Springs concerts to be a celebration of dance. Harpist Matthew Tutsky will be the one doing the most celebrating.
Wilson chose Tusky’s solo work on Claude Debussy’s “Danses sacrée et profane” to be the marquee performance of the concert.

“I guest conducted (the Boise Philharmonic)and I was just blown away by his playing,” says Wilson, who is music director of the orchestra. “I kept my ear on him the whole time. I realized that his execution and level of playing far exceeded where he is in his career.”
The 27-year-old Tutsky is a native of Guilford, Conn. He honed his artistry at the Juilliard School of Music’s Pre College and then the Manhattan School of Music. Now he makes his home in Idaho.

“It took me by surprise,” he recalled. “In 2009, I was looking for an orchestra job and the only harp vacancy was in Boise. I flew out, auditioned, and got the job. It’s been really fun.”
This will be Tutsky’s first chance to play the Debussy accompanied by a full compliment of strings. “The first part (sacred dances) has a transparent feel and brings back the ancient times and is very religious... I love it. The second part (profane dances) is gorgeous too. It’s more capricious, it’s a waltz. It expresses a love of life and nature.”

Tutsky knows he has to be very careful about his performance. “You can’t loose yourself in it, which you can easily do. It’s one of the most difficult harp pieces in the literature and it’s on every orchestra audition. It was written for the chromatic harp, not the harp we use today, so there’s lots of pedal passages where you have to still make it smooth, make it better for the listener.”

With works all composed during the 20th century, it’s likely that this entire program will be new to the chamber orchestra’s audience.

“Everything is related back to dance,” says Wilson. “The pieces really do fit together. The two extremes are between the Debussy, which is so elegant and beautiful, and the Rosauro is just red hot all the way. The Stravinsky “Danses Concertantes” is modern — from his later phase when he wasn’t trying to impress anyone anymore. It’s an incredibly diverse program.”

The chamber orchestra’s Carl Cook came to Wilson with Ney Rosauro “Marimba Concerto.”
“He’s really an excellent percussionist. He recommended the piece and I really liked it. As I said, it’s red hot, lot’s of edge, very dramatic, very exciting and very visual to watch. Most everything is four mallets and he’s constantly working.

Wilson, says that Samuel Barber’s “Capricorn Concerto” depicts the life in the home he shared with composer Gian Carlo Menotti and their adopted nephew Chip. Each is represented by a solo instrument. “The oboe represents Barber, of course. The flute is Menotti and Chip is the trumpet — crying or playing with his friends. The house was a place where they were happy.”

The rhythmic complexities of Aaron Copland’s “Three Latin American Sketches” make it the most difficult piece on the program.

“Never does a downbeat line up with a phrase," said Wilson. "Nothing is intuitive in that piece. It’s so strange for Copland. It’s a much harder piece than it sounds.

 “The concert’s going to be very challenging for us but very fun for the audience.”