Torrential storm doesn’t dampen spirits at Kuan’s HSO debut at Talcott Mountain Fest
by Kory Loucks

SIMSBURY — Conductor Carolyn Kuan certainly got our attention Saturday with her debut at the Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s Talcott Mountain Music Festival in the midst of a mid-summer night’s torrential rainstorm - boardering on a Monsoon.
Not that Kuan, HSO’s music director-designate, had any say in the weather, but she certainly has a flair for the dramatic.
The outdoor concert series, in its 16th season, is held in Simsbury Meadows next to Talcott Mountain, close to downtown Simsbury, attracting people from all around the region to our state’s mini-version of Massachusetts’ Tanglewood.
Before the concert, Allan and Judy Daninhirsch of Bristol were sitting comfortably on the lawn in their folding chairs in anticipation of the performance.
They said they haven’t missed a show since the festival started and recommended that others come and enjoy music under the stars.
“It’s a great way to relax and you don’t have to get dressed up,” Judy Daninhirsch said, adding that she also enjoys the fireworks display at the end of each performance.
And it isn’t just the music and fireworks that brings people to the venue. Before the concert they have crafts for children to create including flute pipes out of plastic straws and decorative pinwheels.
Danka Jara of Wethersfield said she and a group of family and friends from Hartford and Andover get together with their children and have a great time. They even set up a their own portable playscape for the little ones to tumble in before the performance.
When her 5-year-old son, Adam, found out the first performance was canceled Friday, she said he was almost inconsolable. His 7-year-old brother, Alex, said his favorite part of coming to the concerts is dancing to the music.
Lucia Pandolfo of Hartford came prepared with some wine, dessert, and bug spray.
“I love to be outside in the summer,” Pandolfo said.
Many patrons brought their own food and beverages and enjoyed a picnic dinner before and during the festivities.
Kuan opened with the overture to Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet.” About half way through the moving and romantic performance, the skies opened up and the rain poured down in buckets.
I don’t know exactly how much rain fell, but my plastic cup had about two inches of water by the time the torrential downpour stopped around half an hour later.
Over half the audience disappeared by that time, which was a shame, because once the skies cleared the performance continued, and it was well worth enduring the downpour.
Scott McIntosh on trumpet was featured in Franz Joseph Haydn’s “Concerto in E-flat Major for Trumpet and Orchestra.” He had a slightly bumpy start with some sharp notes, probably to do with the preceding deluge, but once he warmed up, McIntosh sounded clean and crisp.
Next Kuan led the orchestra in Felix Mendelssohn’s “Incidental Music to ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’” with entertaining and quirky narration by Radio Host and columnist Colin McEnroe.
The few residual raindrops had stopped completely by the time the fireworks kicked in, and they were spectacular, lasting at least 20 minutes and they were a perfect ending to an eventful evening.
The beauty of an outdoor concert is the unexpected variety of sensations, such as the scent of flowers and grass hanging in the humid summer air, birds chirping, and crickets adding their distinctive summer sound once the sun set.
This is the first of five Friday night outdoor concerts in July. Next up is “Celebrate America” July 1, followed by “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy” on July 8; “The Music of Michael Jackson,” on July 15; and “A Symphonic Surfin’ Safari” on July 22.
Single tickets range in price from $20 to $45 and are $5 for children under 13 years old. For more information call their box office at 860-244-2999 or visit their website at:
www.hartfordsymphony.org.
Kuan was simply marvelous, possessing a flowing, graceful, exuberant style and guiding the orchestra to a full, unified, and ultimately moving performance.
She exuded an undeniable humanity and largess that was evident throughout the night. Even after the show, she came into the audience and as the few remaining waterlogged patrons were packing up their soggy belongings, she warmly and sincerely wanted to know how they enjoyed the show.
If this first performance is any indication of what the future portends, the HSO under Kuan’s confident direction will be reaching new heights in the years to come.