Music Reviews : Fazzi Conducts Glendale Chamber Orchestra

Christopher Fazzi planned the season’s second concert of his Glendale Chamber Orchestra on a generous scale. To himself and his players he allotted three opera overtures, the complete concert suite from Falla’s ballet, “El Amor Brujo,” plus four opera arias sung by Marvellee Cariaga, and a brief piece for violin and orchestra played by the ensemble’s concertmaster, Bruce Dukov.

It was all a bit more than the traffic could comfortably accommodate, but the net result was at least honest in intention and an unmistakable audience-pleaser.

Fazzi does not have at his command a thoroughly professional group of musicians. Their efforts are willing and enthusiastic but frequently the intention must serve for the result. It becomes the age-old conflict between letter and spirit.

Still, Fazzi is a precise and informed conductor and his resourcefulness often steers his charges through rough waters. He himself appears to be unflappable. He keeps his cool, he maintains control, and his aims are always musically honorable. Matters would definitely be a lot rockier if it were not for his constantly steadying influence.

Cariaga had to contend with an indisposition that now and then posed problems. But in general her versatile skills guided her to safety. The full sensuousness of two arias from Saint-Saens’ “Samson et Dalila” was amply realized. Once warmed up, the voice negotiated the fioriture of “Una voce poco fa” from Rossini’s “Barbiere di Siviglia” with clean suppleness and met the dramatic challenge of “O don Fatale” from Verdi’s “Don Carlo” with impressive breadth and authority.

Dukov’s choice of Franz Waxman’s old-fashioned fantasy on themes from Bizet’s “Carmen” illustrated his technical accomplishments but offered little scope to whatever musical qualifications he may possess.