Review: ‘Kevin Puts Has Georgia (and Alfred) on His Mind in BRIGHTNESS at NY Philharmonic’

Soprano Renée Fleming, conductor Brett Mitchell, and baritone Rod Gilfry perform Kevin Puts’s The Brightness of Light with the New York Philharmonic. © Brandon Patoc

Renee Fleming and Rod Gilfry Thrill in Helping Bring Correspondence to Musical Life with Conductor Brett Mitchell

NEW YORK — Broadway World has published a review of Brett Mitchell’s recent subscription debut with the New York Philharmonic:

This past weekend, composer Kevin Puts’s BRIGHTNESS OF LIGHT, based on the long, abundant correspondence of artist Georgia O’Keeffe and photographer/gallerist Alfred Stieglitz, had its long overdue New York premiere, with the New York Philharmonic under debuting conductor Brett Mitchell, and soprano Renee Fleming as O’Keeffe and baritone Rod Gilfry as Stieglitz, friends and lovers (marital and otherwise)…

The Philharmonic was not left out of Puts’s efforts—not only in the marvelously, intricately orchestrated songs, but in a pair of Orchestral Interludes, “Georgia and Alfred” and “The High Priestess of the Desert”—through which conductor Mitchell drew sweep and passion. He was a last-minute substitution on the podium, though he had conducted the work once before. Still, he did a stellar job, as did the ensemble…

Filling out the program was Ravel’s “Daphnis et Chloe (Choreographic Symphony in Three Parts),” which had been written by the composer for the Ballets Russes in 1912. It ran from the rhapsodic to the anarchic and back again, and was exciting to hear even if it's not among Ravel's most frequently played works.

Again, Mitchell didn’t have much time with the orchestra when he was parachuted in to replace Juanjo Mena, who was a last-minute cancellation, but the performance nonetheless ran smoothly… The New York Philharmonic Chorus, under Malcolm Merriweather, added greatly to the overall effect of the piece, becoming one more element of the orchestra.

To read the complete review, please click here.