It was great to see a very full house at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall for the opening gala (September 16) of the Oregon Symphony’s 2025-2026 season. It was a very positive sign that the Portland Arts scene is reemerging from the pandemic. Superstar violinist Joshua Bell was the main attraction of the evening, and the orchestra, under Music Director David Danzmayr, sounded better than ever in a program of gems by Saint-Saëns, Bizet, and Stravinsky.
Bell opened the concert with a magnificent performance of Camille Saint-Saëns Third Violin Concerto. It was an over-the-top effort in which Bell mined the piece for every nuance possible. Each line was shaped with an artistic incisiveness that gave the music a fresh vitality. Bell’s jaw-dropping virtuosity lit up the fireworks of the first movement and still illuminated its beauty. The lyrical second movement reset the mood, evoking images of a boat gently rocking on a lake. For the third, Bell generated a sparkling finish that was noble and elegant.
Overall, it was an inspired performance by Bell, supported by outstanding contributions from the orchestra. In particular, Principal Clarinetist Mark Dubec and the orchestra’s new Principal Oboist Harrison Linsey added graceful tones in their duets with Bell, who enjoyed turning toward the orchestra whenever he had a break to hear the ensemble play.
The audience showered Bell and the orchestra with an immediate standing ovation. After Bell returned to the stage for the third time, he told concertgoers that the first time he played with the Oregon Symphony was in 1988 when it was helmed by James DePriest. He wondered if there were any members who were still with the symphony from that time. It turned out that violinist Lynne Finch and her husband, cellist Kenneth Finch were the only ones. Bell then followed with an encore, the meditation from Jules Massenet's opera "Thaïs", which Bell played as a duet with Principal harpist, Matthew Tutsky. Their sound was very emotive, but not sentimental, and the result was heavenly.
The Suite No. 1 from “L’Arlésienne,” which was incidental music that Bizet wrote for a play of the same name. The Prelude movement, which borrowed from the French Christmas carol "The March of the Kings" offered a lot of dynamic contrast that was fascinating to hear. The second movement, Minuetto, calmed things down – highlighted by an alto saxophone. Exquisite phrasing allowed the third movement, Adagietto, to reach and exquisitely divine moment, and that contrasted extremely well with the brilliant and robust Carillon to wrap up the piece.
The Suite (1919 revision) from Stravinsky’s “The Firebird,” closed out the evening with an outstanding performance by the orchestra. Danzmayr had all of his forces playing at an optimal level – vividly retelling the story of the prince who pursues the Firebird (part woman/part bird) into a garden that belongs to the evil wizard Katschei. She gives the prince a magic feather that he later uses to free the men who have been turned to stone by Katchei. The prince also smashes an egg that controls Katschei’s power and his life. Afterwards, the prince marries a princess in a happy ending.
The basses and cellos wonderfully established the ominous magical garden. The woodwinds created enticing birdlike sounds, and with balletic lyricism, the orchestra recreated the prince and the enticing Firebird and the magic feather. The low brass had a field day expressing the horrible Katschei. The slow passages were mesmerizing, and the climbing series of tones near the end of the piece break into a joyous finale.
Owing to the near-capacity attendance, the vibe in the lobby was elevated, and that bodes well for the orchestra’s season. More on that as the season progresses.
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