Art Garfunkel in Rockville on 11/06/2009 (concert review)
11/09/2009 03:57 ПП | ArticlesIf ever a popular song cried out for orchestral treatment, it’s Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Boxer.” The complex arrangement of the magnificent 1969 hit implicitly suggests a connection to the classical repertoire.
That’s one reason the collaboration between Art Garfunkel and the Kansas City Symphony seemed particularly promising.
Yet the symphony sat silently as Garfunkel and his four-piece band performed “The Boxer” for a capacity audience of about 3,200 Friday at the Church of the Resurrection. The result was an exceedingly pleasing if occasionally frustrating evening.
The program began with contagiously enthusiastic associate conductor Steven Jarvi leading a rousing performance of a Beatles medley. Even if the piece overstayed its welcome by five minutes, it demonstrated the affinity Jarvi and the symphony have for popular music.
It seemed odd, consequently, that the symphony sat out during Garfunkel’s first two numbers, Johnny Mercer’s “I Remember You” and Garfunkel’s “Perfect Moment.” Deepening the offense was keyboardist Clifford Carter’s synthetic evocation of a string section even as he shared the stage with a gifted symphony. Although Carter is an accomplished musician, the choice seemed entirely superfluous.
When the symphony was called to contribute to Garfunkel’s third selection, a ravishing reading of Randy Newman’s “Real Emotional Girl” the effect was magical. The insightful nuances added by the symphony’s sensitive work magnified the song’s pathos. Seemingly inspired by the symphony’s precise support, Garfunkel gave his most revealing vocal of the night on Jimmy Webb’s “Skywriter.” The symphony also successfully recreated the original lush sound bed of the lovely “Bright Eyes.”
Far less rewarding was the syrupy treatment of “I Only Have Eyes For You.” It was the sole instance in which the symphony’s contribution failed to enhance the material.
Garfunkel’s decision to program the evening in reverse chronological order meant that the first half of his performance emphasized his under-appreciated solo career. But that’s not what the audience came to hear.
“Here come the hits,” Garfunkel admitted after intermission.
The vibrant color and dramatic textures added by the symphony on the majestic “El Condor Pasa (If I Could)” resulted in the evening’s single best performance.
A standing ovation followed “Bridge Over Trouble Water.” Never mind that the arrangement was rewritten so that Garfunkel needn’t recreate the original version’s highest notes. The potent combination of the audience’s nostalgia and the artist’s winning showmanship rendered such details meaningless.
Garfunkel’s voice may have lost some of its range over the decades, but anything he’s sacrificed is more than made up for in his sophisticated phrasing and deepened emotional resonance. Even without the high notes in his arsenal, he’s a more interesting vocalist today than he was forty years ago. “Kathy’s Song” showcased Garfunkel’s instrument to great effect. Accompanied solely by acoustic guitar, Garfunkel’s crystalline, honey-hued voice sounded sweeter than ever.
It helps that he continues to deliver the classic songs with panache and good cheer. Only on “Mrs. Robinson” did he seem less than completely enthusiastic.
Almost incomprehensibly, the symphony was excluded from contributing to the epochal “The Sound of Silence.” While Garfunkel’s rendering of the song was perfectly adequate, his failure to incorporate the immensely talented and highly sympathetic symphony was mystifying.
As with too much of the evening, it seemed like a missed opportunity.