The first song of Saturday’s Richmond Symphony concert at the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts started without a conductor on stage. Lead instrumentalist and guest conductor Carl Topilow climbed the steps to the stage and began conducting.
Guest conductors are rare and they provide “great energy” violinist Stacy Markowitz said.
Topilow’s conducted mostly with his hands. The first song for which he used a baton on was after the intermission. For many songs he played red clarinet at least part of the time and he received applause because of it.
“He used a clarinet like a baton,” said Gill Baedke, the wife of the principal trombonist.
Topilow has “a good rapport with the crowd,” she said. “He’s a prop conductor at par with New York Philharmonic’s Lorin Maazel.”
When introducing a jazzy arrangement of Mozart’s “A little night music,” he joked about Mozart’s undocumented trip to New Orleans. “You can take me home tonight – on CD,” he said.
Topilow also arranged one of the pieces that Susan Hesse sung. She sung in New York, Cleveland, Abilene, Tx. and Richmond because her daughter went to the University of Richmond. She recognized her daughter because cheers erupted after her first song.
“I’m afraid I know where that’s coming from,” she said.
“I did not have lessons, but grew up listening to the tunes,” she said.
Topilow asked if anyone knew how to swing dance before they played some swing music. A few songs later, two audience members danced.
After “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” he left the stage. The song started, and he entered with a blue clarinet. He said to one performer, “I was surprised to see a blue harp. Did you realize we were going to be color coordinated?”
VCU alumnus Tom Crockett said, “The style was really good, especially with Susan Hesse singing. I was tapping my feet and for a 40-year-old, I was pretty excited!”