This is specifically for the No. 24th 2015 concert, but I expect a general observation on the RCO can be extrapolated from there.
The star of the evening was the piano, which appeared to be a Hamburg Steinway. Rich mellow tone, perfect for the space. Followed by a very good pianist - Dr. Winn, playing his own Concerto for Piano and Strings, and Strauss' Burleske.
The orchestra, which appears to be an amalgam of Reno area classical musicians, did an excellent job on the Prokofiev Symphony, and on the accompaniment of the two piano works.
Unfortunately, the opening piece - a Mozart symphony - sounded like a student rehearsal, and rendered parts of the work almost unrecognizable.
Which brings us to the conductor. Very animated on the podium, and quite literally leaning into the faces/personal spaces of the performers. It may have been a style developed in larger spaces with full orchestra where the distance from the podium to the members is greater, or it may have been a reflection of his animation in trying to rescue the Mozart, but I found that I had to focus away from his gyrations and concentrate on the music.
The acoustics of Nightingale Hall are excellent, but the setting - tucked into the aging and worn Church Fine Arts Building - detracts from the experience.
Another observation: major blocs of seats at the front of the hall were unoccupied. The impression was that they had been sold to subscribers who simply were not there. Something for the staff to deal with.
Bottom line: go for the music, which is of sufficiently high quality, and cope with the rest. read more