Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Unexpected selections offer Philharmonic surprises

Traditions abound for Fourth of July celebrations: family gatherings, picnics, fireworks. And, as it has since 1998, the Las Vegas Philharmonic offered a special program of star-spangled favorites. About 2,000 people, including a generous smattering of tiny tots not regularly seen at classical concerts, attended the Fourth of July outdoor concert at the Hills Park in Summerlin.

The orchestra, in an open but air-conditioned band shell, was under the direction of music director Hal Weller and associate conductor Richard McGee. Clint Holmes was the special guest artist.

After a performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner," the program continued its red, white and blue traditions, with Morton Gould's "American Salute," including bright variations on "When Johnny Comes Marching Home."

The Philharmonic followed with Broadway composer Richard Rodgers's "Victory at Sea." Dedicated to World War II veterans, this was the most somber offering of the evening. The few veterans in the audience stood before the slow, complex orchestration began. This is certainly not the froth and frills of typical Rodgers, instead weaving together solemn passages that speak to the inhumanity of war and the strength of the armed forces before an ultimately upbeat ending.

The salute to George M. Cohan included the expected, but necessary, patriotic chestnuts. What's the Fourth of July, anyway, without "Yankee Doodle Dandy" or "You're a Grand Old Flag"?

Holmes took the stage right before intermission. His first selection, a medley from "West Side Story," fit well enough with the evening, if one considered the theme of the play -- a paean to American life -- and that its composer is arguably one of America's treasures. However, no one on stage bothered to explain such a connection. So the essentially a capella version of "Maria," "Tonight" and other bits of music were fine, but seemed somewhat out of place. The evening air seemed to take a toll on Holmes's early singing as he needed to reach for some notes.

His second selection was also unexpected: "Follow the Flag" by Oscar and Grammy winner Randy Newman. Brief and upbeat, it has a light, patriotic philosophy and was a good addition.

Aaron Copland's "Servicemen on Parade" allowed all those who were formerly in the armed services (and their relatives) to stand.

After intermission, associate conductor McGee came back with two John Willams selections, "Hymn to the Fallen," from "Saving Private Ryan," a short, solemn and certainly appropriate piece, and "Superman March," which was a crowd-pleaser but seemed to be included primarily for that reason.

Patriotism influenced most of the rest of the program, with a sing-along "America the Beautiful" and a perfectly-timed "1812 Overture," with booms of fireworks substituting for the required cannon shots. More patriotic works accompanied the lavish fireworks display.

The slight slope of the park offers a good view and great sound for the event. An unexpected pleasure was that the horizon behind the band shell came alive with numerous other fireworks displays soon after sunset. All of it made a festive occasion even more so.