By Lyn Bronson
[This review will appear in the Salinas Californian on Monday, June 1, 2009]
The first thing we noticed when Maestro Max Bragado-Darman walked out on stage at Sherwood Hall last night was that his left arm was in a sling – actually, a nicely color-coordinated sling (Armani, no doubt) that looked quite dashing with his formal concert tails. Inquiries revealed that the Maestro had scheduled shoulder surgery for both arms but decided, wisely it turns out, to have the left shoulder done first and the other one during the summer when concert activities are lighter. Since almost everything that we hear in a symphony concert is accomplished during rehearsals, the baton technique is principally for getting the musicians started together and for occasional instrumental cues. Therefore, not surprisingly, Max performed last night without a hitch, even with the disabled left arm unable to add to the cueing but still managing to turn the pages of the score.
