San Diego Symphony Orchestra Features Fantasies for Children in Opening Performance

Opening the concert was Claude Debussy’s The Joyful Isle, inspired by a painting, a poem and his own scandalous abandonment of his wife in 1904, running off to an English Channel Island with Emma Bardac, spouse of a wealthy Paris banker. The piece was first crafted for piano and, toward the end of Debussy’s life, he guided his friend, the Italian conductor, Bernadino Molinari, to orchestrate it.  This seven minute work has many of the characteristics of La Mer, which Debussy composed in 1905, such as the use of whole tone scales, extensive use of woodwinds and muted trumpet and simulation of storms with waves thrashing at the shore. There are also sublime moments of tranquil love music.

In 1913, Debussy was asked to write a piece based on Andre Helle’s children’s book, The Box of Toys. Although he first planned for the score to accompany a puppet show, he later decided to write it for human dancers. The SDSO performed the music with illustrations from Helle’s book projected on the screen above the orchestra. Debussy was inspired to compose this work for his eight-year old daughter, Chouchou.

The story takes place in a toy shop where a box of toys opens up and the contents come to life during the night. Three characters emerge, a toy soldier, who falls in love with the pretty doll, and an evil Polichinelle, who tries to steal her away. After a battle in which the soldier gets wounded, the doll nurses him back to health and they marry, have a family and Polichinelle becomes their servant. When dawn arrives, the toys climb back into their box and the shopkeeper returns.

Here, again, Debussy, who was seriously ill at this time, completed the piano score, but the orchestration was made by his friend and protégé, Andre Caplet. It was not performed until a year after Debussy’s death. The 35-minute piece consists of a prelude, four tableaus and an epilogue, telling the story. One of the highlights was the English Horn solo in the second tableau, beautifully played by Andrea Overturf. There was also excellent work by the two harps and the piano.

Following intermission, Maurice Ravel’s The Child and the Magical Spells received a superb performance, with eight outstanding vocal soloists, the San Diego Symphony Chorus, the San Diego Children’s Choir, animated projections by artist Joe Fournier and projection designer, Mike Tutaj, and directed by Gerard McBurney.

The Child and the Magical Spells is about a six-year old boy who is being punished for refusing to do his arithmetic homework. Enraged, he trashes everything in his room, including tearing up his arithmetic homework book and his picture book, breaking furniture, a teapot and cup and other items. When, at the end of the opera, he takes pity on a wounded baby squirrel, we finally see him calmed and showing empathy as he tries to help the squirrel before calling out to his mother. This change of character mitigates the retribution all that he had damaged and broken were planning to inflict on him.

The French author, Colette, asked Ravel to write the music for her children’s story as an opera. Ravel wrote The Child and the Magical Spells after recuperating from the suffering he endured as a truck driver on the front lines during World War I. Following the war, he toured the US and heard jazz. He was particularly enamored with the music of Gershwin. In this opera, we hear that influence, especially in the dance between the teapot and cup.

From the moment mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard entered with the swagger of a six-year old recalcitrant boy and began singing in her laser-clear voice, we knew we were in for a treat.

The boy’s mother, played by mezzo-soprano Lindsay Ammann was equally impressive. Soprano Liv Redpath, contributed with bell-like purity as the fire, the princess and the nightingale. and baritone Elliot Madore was particularly adept in his role as the black cat. Mezzo-soprano Meridian Prall, in white costume and tail was a persuasive white cat, and tenor Angel Raii Gomez did a fine job as the tea pot, the little old man and the tree frog.

Although his roles were small as the armchair and the tree, bass-Baritone Christian Simmons made a strong impact with his deep, vibrant voice. Soprano Tasha Hokuao Koontz sang the roles of the shepherdess, the bat and the owl with silvery lyricism. I have heard this native Hawaiian singer numerous times as a “ringer” in the Congregation Beth Israel Adult Choir, most recently at Rosh Hashana services, where she elevates the quality of the 40-piece group.

The San Diego Symphony Chorus, trained by Chorus Master Maurice Boyer and the San Diego Children’s Choir under the Direction of Ruthie Millgard participated in the production.

Others contributing to the Ravel opera were lighting designer, Paul Miller, creative producer, Jonathan Gilmer and repetiteur, Mariam Bombrun.

The San Diego Symphony, with its roster of seasoned professionals, performed at a very high level. Nine new members have been added this season, filling in open slots in the string section. The orchestra continues to be inspired by their bi-coastal conductor, who now also serves as the music director of Canada’s premiere ensemble, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.