September 11, 2006 Robert Hilferty
The elegant structure, a neoclassical building incorporating modern design elements, is more than just a pretty face. Located in the historic downtown area, the Schermerhorn is located across from the Country Music Hall of Fame, and a few blocks away from the Ryman Auditorium, where Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton performed. Architect David Schwarz, working with acoustician Paul Scarbrough of Akustics, has designed an ingenious, eclectic amalgam incorporating the best qualities of Vienna's Musikverein and Amsterdam's Concertgebouw. It's a feast for the eyes and ears.
Nashville's elite, all gussied up in expensive gowns and tuxedoes with bubbly in hand, roamed the hall's many intimate spaces surrounding the auditorium. Avoiding those cold, cavernous spaces common in many American venues for classical music, Schermerhorn's rooms are cozy, sleek, and conducive to conversation, silly or serious. Pillars and marble are everywhere, but the feel is less monumental than snug. Some of the walls have mirrors with high-definition monitors embedded in them so latecomers don't miss out on the action.
The elite guests, of all ages and not all classical buffs, settled into the Laura Turner Concert Hall, a shoebox with 1870 seats distributed over a sloped parterre, three side balconies and two loges. A huge organ dominates the stage. Celadon is the primary color of the walls, illuminated by exquisite chandeliers of frosted globes, redolent of 1900 Vienna yet utterly contemporary, as well as natural light filtered through windows lining the top.
The Nashville Symphony, whipped into world-class shape by late music director Kenneth Schermerhorn, played a diverse programme led by music advisor Leonard Slatkin. Shostakovich's Festive Overture was just that, and showed off the brass section to tremendous effect. While the auditorium floor and stage are made out of wood, acoustician Paul Scarbrough of Akustics insisted that the walls be plaster (as in the Musikverein), highly reflective yet softens the edges of the higher frequencies. The high-register flute passages were not shrill.
The next piece was a world premiere commission, the Triple Concerto for Banjo, Double Bass and Tabla. The piece, a joint composition by the instrumentalists - respectively Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain - was a meandering multicultural mishmash. After intermission, Barber's Essay No 2 made a much stronger impression with its stunning fugue, starting off with a solo clarinet that sucks the whole orchestra into its contrapuntal orbit. The sound was clean and crisp.
The last two movements of Mahler's Symphony No 2 completed the evening. While the Nashville Symphony may not be a leading Mahler orchestra yet, they were utterly impressive under Slatkin's sure direction. From shimmering strings to offstage horns to explosive eruptions, the colors and articulations astounded in the new space. At times, it sounded too bright, but Mahler may have wanted it that way. A cell phone went off, but at least it was on beat. The best moments belonged to the Nashville Symphony Chorus, superbly prepared by George Mabry. Unfortunately, Federca von Stade's voice has seen better days. Nonetheless, the standing ovation was a movement unto itself.
Schermerhorn Symphony Center is a triumph, and will improve with age as the orchestra learns to play even more effectively within its walls.
Copyright 2001 Fisher Dachs Associates