In Thursday’s (5/7) Times-Picayune (New Orleans), Chris Waddington writes about the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra’s dedication to new works. “This season, the group has expanded the repertoire on a regular basis, both by commissioning new compositions and by digging up interesting, out-of-the-mainstream works from the past. … The world premiere of Frank Proto’s ‘Dali Gallery’ —a six-movement suite inspired by the paintings of surrealist artist Salvador Dali—comes tonight and Saturday. This new piece was commissioned by the orchestra after Proto won a 2006 LPO competition with a jazz-inspired work called ‘Fiesta Bayou and Kismet.’ This will be the third time that the LPO presents a work by the 67-year-old Proto, a musical eclectic who came up in Brooklyn jazz bands, wrote for such jazz notables as Dave Brubeck and Cleo Laine, and served for decades as a bassist and composer-in-residence at the renowned Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. … The ‘Dali Gallery’ contains no overt jazz elements, but Proto’s experiences with improvisers color many aspects of the score. … Elsewhere, Proto makes use of big-band-style brass glissandos that start from high notes and rise even higher.”
Posted May 8, 2009
