Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Review: Vancouver Symphony has a blast with Mahler's 5th and Alwyn's too


The Vancouver Symphony delivered a knockout punch with Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, taking the audience at Skyview Concert Hall (February 24) on an emotional, rollercoaster journey. The dramatic quality of the 70-minute piece was fully elicited by the orchestra under its Music Director, Salvador Brotons. It was set up nicely by another passionate work, Willaim Alwyn’s Fifth Symphony (aka “Hydriotaphia”), which is much shorter than the Mahler, clocking in at around 15 minutes. Taken together, the two Fifth Symphonies fit together like a glove, with the Alwyn ending with a quiet rumination and the Mahler almost exploding at the finale.

Urged onward by the emotive conducting of Brotons, the orchestra wasted no time launching into the turbulence of the first movement, a funeral march that began with the insistent trumpet calls of Principal Trumpeter Bruce Dunn. The solemn melodic line was interrupted by emphatic blasts as if to pull listeners in a different direction. The orchestra conveyed the storminess at the beginning of the next section before settling into a sorrowful theme from the cellos. Sweeping lines from the violins, tutti crescendos, little accented outbursts, big, triumphant chorales, and quiet passages created a colorful yet serious sonic mixture.

At the beginning of the next section, Principal Hornist Dan Partridge moved to a position off to the side next to the brass and boldly played his solo passages with a glowing verve. The waltz-like laendler had a country-dance feel, and the orchestra concluded the section with a wild finish. The strings treated the Adagietto tenderly, and the harp lingering above it all was heavenly. The orchestra showed off some fleet fingerwork in the final movement, delving into the tricky fugue and wrapping it all up with a robust, triumphant end that almost got Brotons spinning completely around on the very last beat.

There were some intonation problems here and there, but they didn’t dampen the overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from the large audience, which included a lot of youth. With six horns and a brass section that launched some terrifically loud volleys, the performance would have benefited from some additional strings, but it seemed that the real estate on the stage was maxed out. That’s another good reason for Vancouver to have a dedicated performing arts venue.

William Alwyn’s Symphony No. 5 has the unusual name of “Hydriotaphia” (Greek for “urn burial”), because it was inspired by a 17th-century essay by Sir Thomas Browne on funeral practices and the subject of death. That might seem like a non-starter for most of us, but Alwyn created a marvelously concise four-movement work that offered a lot of engaging colors and dynamic contrasts.

Using the 12-tone technique of Arnold Schoenberg (who knew Mahler), you would think that Alwyn’s Fifth would be an atonal hodgepodge, but it had a loosely narrative style (at least to me) and was an absolute delight to hear. Out of the gate, it opened vigorously, transitioned seamlessly from one movement to another without pausing. I made note of pulsating passages with low, rumbling cellos, basses, and bassoons. At times, the sound reached an excellent pianissimo so that you could hear the bells. Concertmaster Eva Richey evoked a silky solo, and the brass choir got a moment in the sun. It all finished up with a meditative mood that was mysterious and angelic.

It was mentioned at the beginning of the concert that Brotons worked with several school orchestras during the week. That may have accounted for the youth in the audience, including some very young families. You would think that some very young people might have left midway through the Mahler, but they didn’t. That bodes well for the future of classical music. Just like adults, kids can feel the genuine enthusiasm that Brotons has for music. He has that electrifying presence. Hopefully he will be able to connect with young students again in the near future. Fingers crossed.

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