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The Dekalb Symphony Orchestra continued its search for a new music director Tuesday evening, performing the third in its four-part “Masterworks” series that has served as auditions for prospective conductors. The program of Haydn, Strauss and Kalinnikov was led by Michael Giel, an Atlanta-based conductor who is known locally for his work with the Capitol City Opera.
Previous “Masterworks” installments showcased the baton techniques of conductors Paul Bhasin, conductor of the Emory University Symphony Orchestra and Sean Vogt, Clayton State University’s director of choral activities and conductor of the Spivey Hall Masterworks Chorus. The second “Masterworks” program with Vogt at the helm was profoundly underwhelming — a disjointed and unpolished affair with only the consistently outstanding piano stylings of guest artist Julie Coucheron to save the day.
Giel had his turn in the hot seat, one left lukewarm in the wake of Vogt’s conservative conducting style. Giel’s bio reveals him to be a renaissance man — he has served as conductor for the Capitol City Opera Company since 2010 as well as director of orchestras at Dunwoody High School. In addition to his background in conducting has amassed an admirable resume as a violist and violinist through performances with the Savannah Philharmonic, Valdosta Symphony Orchestra, and Albany Coastal Symphony of Georgia among many others.
In terms of modern artists, his credits include the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Barry Manilow and Evanescence. Additionally, Giel and his wife, Catherine, perform in the band Full Service on electric bass and keyboards, respectively.
That unusually diverse background might account for Giel’s infectious onstage energy. He mounted the podium with an upbeat enthusiasm that seemed pleasantly out of touch with the normally regal confines of classical music decorum. Where so many composers carry out their duties with an almost morbid stiffness, Giel was alert and animated, greeting the audience with the kind of upbeat energy more commonly associated with late night talk show hosts than symphony conductors.
Giel’s vivacious demeanor translated well to the music — an opening fanfare of the “Star Spangled Banner” was rich, cohesive and well-balanced. The program’s first segment, Johann Strauss II’s Overture to Die Fledermaus, served as a fine opportunity for Giel to capitalize on his penchant for cheerful showmanship. Under his command, the entire podium became a miniature stage for his flamboyant leadership; his entire form cast in wildly graceful arcs towards the various instruments.
It was quickly apparent that the orchestra had shed the shaky foundation of its previous performance and found a more precise and pleasantly-balanced sound. The Marvin Cole Auditorium certainly lacks the meticulous acoustic sculpting of a proper concert hall, but the orchestra was able to deliver a far more evenly leveled tone devoid of the out of tune instruments and errant slip-ups that had previously plagued them. How much of that difference owes to Giel’s involvement and how much can be credited to the musicians themselves will be clarified with “Masterworks IV.” But for now it is abundantly clear that the orchestra has it in them to deliver a commanding and powerful performance.
The second segment of the night, Franz Joseph Haydn’s Concerto in C Major for Violoncello and Orchestra, featured guest soloist Barney Culver on cello. Culver’s resume includes performances with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, along with the orchestras of The Atlanta Opera and Atlanta Ballet. He also holds faculty positions at Franklin Pond Chamber Music and the Atlanta Chamber Music Festival.
Culver’s performance was nothing short of exemplary of what an orchestral soloist should accomplish on every conceivable level. There are many symphonic soloists who play to one aspect of their musical ability. They become overly reliant on emphasizing one favorite aspect of a solo’s overall nature while leaving the larger potential of the piece unexplored and unfulfilled.
Such was not the case with Culver. He began with a relaxed, almost languid tone that seemed to willfully step back from what might be expected. It was a daring choice that gave him space to explore the more subtle facets of his instrument’s tonality while creating a wider berth for the more grandiose aspects of the solo to eventually flourish. The result was a solo where the technical ferocity was tossed off like a brilliant observation couched in a light hearted chuckle. His performance had a conversational quality between soloist and ensemble, exponentially enhancing the interplay between them. There were dazzling fireworks in the solo to be sure — rapid fire arpeggios and illustrious legato runs — but they never fell out of step with Culver’s signature aplomb.
Following an intermission the orchestra reconvened for Vasily Sergeyevich Kalinnikov’s Symphony No. 1 in G minor. While the performance itself was generally fine, there were some rough-around-the-edges moments. The transitions between movements all felt unnervingly long. The piece was largely a success, but it did contain the evening’s few moments of turbulence.
The Dekalb Symphony Orchestra has done much in the span of two performances to rise from being merely the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s scrappy younger sibling. It will be interesting to see if this positive trend further develops with the series’ final installment, “Masterworks IV,” on June 21. That performance will feature conductor John Clanton alongside pianist Joseph Holt for an evening of works by Aaron Copland, George Gershwin and Anton Dvorak.
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Jordan Owen began writing about music professionally at the age of 16 in Oxford, Mississippi. A 2006 graduate of the Berklee College of Music, he is a professional guitarist, bandleader and composer. He is currently the lead guitarist for the jazz group Other Strangers, the power metal band Axis of Empires and the melodic death/thrash metal band Century Spawn.
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