Flutist David Wechsler was music to the ears of members at the Midwood Senior Center, who gobbled up his sweet works like doves to a love song when the Brooklyn Philharmonic instrumentalist stopped by to perform a solo concert for an early Thanksgiving party.
The thrilled reaction to his Nov. 16 appearance — part of the symphony orchestra’s community outreach to bring the classics to senior centers, schools and other public venues — had the virtuoso blowing his own horn.
“They really dug it!” piped Wechsler, a Midwood resident and Broadway subber who played a serene selection on traditional, alto and bass flutes, including Bach’s Partita in A minor, Debussy’s Syrinx, and Bozza’s Image.
Then, he tuned the crowd to jazz favorites, raising the tempo with Duke Ellington’s “In a Sentimental Mood,” and other pieces made famous by Henry Mancini and John Barry — the latter responsible for many of the original James Bond scores, among them, “Thunderball,” and “Goldfinger,” in which he perfected the dum-dum-dum-dum strains which continue to resonate with new generations of 007 fans.
Wechsler, who also teaches the flute at the Poly Prep Country Day School, the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, and the College of Staten Island, struck the right chord with his audience by talking about the works before grooving.
“Speaking about the pieces really helped,” he said. “It was a lot of fun!”
Reach reporter Shavana Abruzzo at sabruzzo@cnglocal.com or by calling (718) 260-2529.
