In spite of being a young upcoming artist, Ryan Lambright is a skilled performer and world-class Euphoniumist whose name is increasingly gaining fame in the world of Music. Over the recent times, Lambright has been furthering his career by advancing his music education major while intermittently using his music prowess to perform in live concerts—especially in recitals. It is based on his razor-sharp music skills that he was recently honored by presenting his Senior Euphonium Recital at the prestigious Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall—courtesy of the University Of South Alabama Department Of Music.
This recital—which I attended—was scheduled for Saturday, October 15, 2011 starting at 7: 30 p.m. Since admission to the concert was free of charge and open to the public, a large crowd was anticipated. I, therefore, made sure that by 7.00 p.m., I was already seated at front row of the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center Recital Hall eagerly waiting for the performance to start.
Before delving into the performance intricacies of this concert, it is worth noting that the report below is essentially based on the examining the performances of music by music of George Frideric Handel, Gordon Jacob, James Barnes and James Niblock which were done by Mr. Lambright (as the main performer) and Dr. Robert Holm (as a collaborative pianist).
As expected, Ryan Lambright was on time and after a brief introduction by master of ceremony, the recitals began. Worth noting is that most of the performances were in English since majority of the composers (Gordon Jacob, James Barnes and James Niblock) to the recitals were of English-speaking countries. It is only in the case of doing recitals composed by George Frideric Handel (a famous German-British Baroque composer) that Mr. Lambright used some German. During this one case, we were given handouts with the lyrics printed on them and their translations of the performance for ease in understanding.
The performances done by Mr. Lambright together with Dr. Holm ranged from piano, opera orchestras, chamber music, concertos, choral works, symphonies and poems. Effectually, this gave a good blend of musical content and style to the visitors. This, probably, is the reason everyone at the concert was very attentive during the entire performance. The only time the deafening silence of concentration was broken was in moments when the audience applauded Mr. Lambright’s performances.
Moreover, Lambrights’s style of performance combined the maturity of classical opera and concert performers like Mozart with the modern-day form of recitals—which entail the usage of modern accompaniments. According to observers and critics, this timelessly unique style of blending modernism and classism is the major reason his performances normally appeals to a wide range of audiences.
Remarkably, the way Lambright performed the recitals emphasized various thematic concerns and various admirable of Lambright, as a professional musician. For example, when performing compositions by James Barnes, the lyrics showed a strong progression of his unique style which involved a more speaking, intimate and conversational character. The melodies provoked swaying in the audience thus making the music to sound kind of harmonically conservative, rarely venturing beyond modest chromatics.
George Frideric Handel’s and James Niblock performances, however, had an undulating and flowing piano accompaniment with the vocal lines deriving from patterns and intimacy of speech. Surprising intervals and cadences cleverly placed mezza voice presented sophisticatedly with depth greatly wowed the audience.
Finally, Gordon Jacob and James Barnes’ compositions highlighted strength in musical character, depth of emotion, high level of maturity and tonal god manipulation. The melodies, musical development, use of modulation and texture, and characterization of emotion set the style apart from the other performances. Generally, the piano sonatas and concertos left feelings of romanticism in listeners with the well-placed tempo and rhythm being felt emphatically.
In conclusion, the concert can be generally described as a hugely varied work of art with each displaying a unique musical prowess. The instruments used did not disappoint altogether and the voice range was particularly breathtaking. Moreover, melodies and rhythms were well-placed and themed, just like it is in most operatic performances. Variations were also created in terms of elaborate stage-lighting and various special effects such as theatrical smoke, fog and costumes. The only failure in the concert was the fact that it was relatively short—thus left the audience yearning for more. I bet it is true when they say even great things always have to come to an end.