May 20, 2005

Topilow directs orchestra with flair

REVIEW

By ANDREW S. HUGHES
Tribune Staff Writer

SOUTH BEND -- Guest conductor and clarinet soloist Carl Topilow led the South Bend Symphony Orchestra through its third Pops! concert of the season with flair and panache Saturday night.

Topilow made a dramatic entrance by leading a trumpeter, saxophonist, trombonist and tuba player through the auditorium of the Morris Performing Arts Center as the five of them -- Topilow on his red clarinet -- played a New Orleans jazz-style rendition of "A Closer Walk with Thee" to open the concert.

Once onstage, Topilow counted the orchestra into a rousing rendition of Frank Mantooth's "South Rampart Street Parade." Topilow's clarinet solo was peppy, while the orchestra responded immediately with tight but lively playing.

Richard Rodgers' "Slaughter on 10th Avenue" allowed the entire orchestra to shine as it handled the arrangement's dynamic changes in tempo and mood with precision and expertise, but the string section's playing on a sweeping, romantic section was simply gorgeous.

A medley of songs made famous by Glenn Miller closed the first half of the concert and featured a sumptuous solo by Topilow on "Moonlight Serenade" and robust playing by him and the orchestra on "In the Mood."

Topilow soloed again on Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust." His wistful and romantic playing on this song was the evening's instrumental highlight.

Trombonist Thomas Stark gave an outstanding and tonally varied performance on a medley of songs made famous by Tommy Dorsey.

Guest vocalist Susan Hesse sang with a warm, spirited voice on Gaskill and McHugh's "I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me" and then switched gears to a deeper, mellower tone for the slow, simmering "The Very Thought of You" by Ray Noble.

For much of the concert, the string section had little to do -- this was horn-driven music. On a surprising and effective arrangement of Don Raye and Hughie Prince's "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," however, the string section took the melody and turned in a lively performance of the Andrews Sisters' classic.

As an emcee, Topilow provided dry-humored and engaging commentary.

"A lot of people ask me about the red clarinet I play," he said early in the concert. "The most important fact I can tell you about it is that it started life as a bowling ball."

Topilow also provided the audience with several invitations to participate -- goofy hand motions on Sy Oliver's "Opus 1," a "Name That Tune" type of game on the medley "Big Band Sounds," for instance.

That made the concert loose and fun, but his playing, as well as Hesse's vocals and the playing of the orchestra and its several soloists, made it a vibrant, joyful musical experience.