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A showman to the end
Nashua conductor?s final concert this weekend
By Jeff Rapsis jrapsis@hippopress.com
For music director Royston Nash, more than two decades of leading the Nashua Symphony will conclude this weekend with performances of two blockbusters of classical music.
For his last time at bat, Nash will start with the Brahms Violin Concerto featuring soloist Irina Muresanu. He?ll then be joined by the Nashua Symphony Choral Society and a quartet of vocal soloists for Beethoven?s landmark Symphony No. 9 in D minor.
It?s a big program ? usually Beethoven?s Ninth is paired with something more modest to act as an appetizer before the big musical meal.
But this is a big occasion, and if anyone?s up to it, the British-born Nash certainly is. Over the past 21 years, he?s shaped the Nashua Symphony into an ensemble capable of handling big and ambitious scores of all types.
Why? Because on the podium and off, I think he?s perfectly attuned to the needs of a smaller regional orchestra such as the Nashua Symphony.
He?s not a flashy conductor who imposes his personality on the music. Rather, Nash provides good solid readings, allowing the music to assert its own power. In the ego-driven world of conducting, that?s a rare thing, and it makes for performances that are often refreshing, satisfying and stripped of pretension.
And with people, Nash is eager to share his love for music in a way that goes over well in a small city. He?s easygoing, quick to laugh at himself and genuinely grateful for any community support the orchestra gets. That classy British accent helps, too.
It all adds up to an extremely effective music director ? one who has contributed greatly to Nashua and the region during his long and well-deserved tenure.
But don?t be fooled. Beneath the affable exterior lies an impresario with solid theatrical instincts (his specialty was Gilbert & Sullivan), so he?s sure to bring out the blockbuster in the Brahms and Beethoven pieces. Like any good showman, he?ll step down leaving us wanting more.
Looking ahead, the Nashua Symphony continues the search for a successor. Nash will serve as ?conductor emeritus,? though, and that?s a good thing.
This weekend?s concert is Saturday, April 21, at 8 p.m. at Keefe Auditorium in Nashua. Tickets are $10 to $45; for info, call 595-9156 or visit www.nashuasymphony.org.
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