April 21-27, 2005

musicpicks

The Philadelphia Orchestra

classical

The concept of color in music is not easy to grasp. How can invisible sound be subject to shades and hues? The elusive notion is that music suggests color, and that at high levels of instrumental execution, the colors can be subtly manipulated. Nearly all musicians concur with this synaesthetic approach, which is known as chromaesthesia (look it up in your Funk and Wagnall's), as do composers. (Scriabin actually conceived of a projector that beamed different colors in sync with his music.) The Philadelphia Orchestra's upcoming concert series, "Consistently Romantic," should convert the cynics. Exhibit A is Rimsky-Korsakov's enormous Sheherazade, a veritable kaleidoscope of a showpiece. The hues will be more in the pastel range for the lovely tone poem by Delius, "The Walk to the Paradise Garden." One can only guess what the use of orchestral color will be for a world premiere, here, the English Horn Concerto by British composer Nicholas Maw, but his bronzed, Brahmsian Violin Concerto of a few years ago might have been a point in the right direction. Another big reason to expect a lot of color at these concerts is the presence of Rossen Milanov at the podium. The orchestra associate conductor has a gift for drawing out rich, lyrical sound from this band. Bring your sunglasses.

April 27, 28, 30, and May 3, 8 p.m.; April 29, 2 p.m., $10-$112, Kimmel Center, Broad and Spruce sts., 215-893-1999.

—Peter Burwasser