Lamsma stuns with Shostakovich and Märkl shows Tai-chi-like moves in Debussy

Dutch virtuoso Somone Lamsma delivered a mesmerizing performance of Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto on Saturday (Jan 8) with the Oregon Symphony and conduct Jun Märkl at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The dusky, moody, yet warm lines that she played in the opening movement were hauntingly etched against the somber accompaniment of the orchestra. From my perch in the balcony, it seemed that Lamsma’s playing hypnotized the audience. There wasn’t a peep or a cell phone beep or anything to disrupt the trance-like state that she had induced. In the midst of this, she coaxed her instrument into delivering the most tender sentences, accented at one point by the celeste and later assuaged by the rumbling bass clarinet. And at the end of the movement, the sound from Lamsma’s violin climbs to the heavens. It was magical.

She then created an agitated, almost angry tone in the second movement, which stirred up the orchestra to join her in the mayhem. Together they broke into an energetic, fast dance, closing on a high note that caused listeners to break into applause.

The third movement featured Lamsma playing high above the fray of a subtle passacaglia of the orchestra. The orchestra gets about as soft as I have ever heard at the Schnitz with pizzicatos and Lamsma finishing with a delicate thread, leading again to a high note.

In the fourth movement, Lamsma took everyone’s breath away with an awesome performance of the fiendishly difficult solo cadenza. It was so wild and crazy that it made me wonder how anyone can possibly play it – and how did Shostakovich concoct it in the first place! After the orchestra joined her, they skipped along with an optimistic, more lighthearted spirit to the finale. Enthusiastic acclamation erupted from the audience, bringing Lamsma back to center stage at least three times.

Before performing Debussy’s “Images,” Märkl and the orchestra introduced it with a demonstration of some of the impressionistic passages. This demo maybe went on just a little too long, but it effectively showed how Debussy used various colors from the orchestra to paint feelings and images that travelled from England to France and ended up in Spain.

Conducting from memory, Märkl wonderfully guided the ensemble with gestures that reminded me of graceful Tai chi movements. He and the musicians took listeners into the mist of Britain – with kudos to Karen Wagner oboe and Jason Sudduth oboe d’amore. The French movement evoked images of the seashore with changing breezes. Iberia was filled with mystery and enchantment that included a terrific solos by principal horn Jeff Garza and concertmaster Sara Kwak.

The concert began with Missy Mazzoli’s “These Worlds in Us.” In the program notes, Mazzoli stated that the piece was inspired by her father, who served in the Vietnam War. It started with a somber invitation from the marimba and melodicas (mouth keyboard instruments that you blow into). Slow glissandos upward and downward from the strings suggested an introspective sadness, but it was briefly lifted before shifting back to a lamenting emotion and finally a return to the marimba and melodica. The music fit the thoughtful atmosphere of the other works, and all was masterfully led by Märkl.

Oregon Symphony's "Messiah" breaks into the fast lane

David Danzmayr led the Oregon Symphony in a super-fast performance of Handel’s “Messiah” on Saturday evening (December 4) at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. This daring decision by the orchestra’s new music director gave the sense of rushing ahead, but at the cost of leaving much of the music’s emotion in the dust. If only someone had walked on stage and issued a speeding ticket.

The orchestra performed it all immaculately, with the strings excelling in creating clean lines with no vibrato, much like you would hear from a baroque ensemble. Jeffrey Work’s accompanying “The trumpet shall sound” was a highlight of the evening, and the addition of the theorbo, as part of the continuo team (with Garrett Bond switching between the harpsichord and portative organ), came across very strongly, albeit a little too strongly at times.

The Portland State Chamber Choir was well prepared by Ethan Sperry, but it could not articulate the numerous runs without resorting to da-ga-da-ga-da-ga iterations because of the fast tempos. That became really annoying. Transitions from the soloists to the choir went well except for the disjointed exchange from Jonathan Woody’s singing of “Why do the nations so furiously rage together” to the chorus’ “Let us break their bonds asunder.” It was also impossible for the chorus to create explosive fortes, for example in the last lines of “Lift up your heads” and “Since by man came death.”

Tenor Miles Mykkanen stood out for his clarion voice, diction, and dynamic ability to reach into the furthest corners of the hall. Soprano Yulia Van Doren sang gorgeously – with some very creative ornamentation – but she left off the ending consonants of her words. Mezzo-Soprano Gina Perregrino had much success with the upper range of her arias but lacked power in the lower portion. Bass-Baritone Jonathan Woody delivered his arias forcefully but could not be heard as well in the deepest passages.

It is terrific that Danzmayr is trying out new ideas, especially in finding out what works and what doesn’t work with the new sound system. And I have nothing against setting a quick pace through a famous oratorio that can become weighty and sag, but a slightly slower tempo would have gone a long way in making this “Messiah” more enjoyable.

Last-minute conductor Andrew Grams elevates Stravinsky ballet and Ehnes delivers impeccable Mozart at Oregon Symphony concert

For the second time this season, the conductor scheduled to lead the Oregon Symphony concert could not enter the United States because of visa problems. Just a few weeks ago David Danzmayr stepped in for Jun Märkl to inspire the orchestra. This time around, Andrew Grams replaced Jonathon Heyward, who also could not enter the United States from Europe where he is the Chief Conductor of the Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie. But Grams really saved the evening (November 20) at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall because the program included Stravinsky’s “Agon,” a rarely performed ballet that could have been disastrous with a less-gifted director. In fact, Grams and the orchestra made the Stravinsky a highlight of the evening, rivaling the impeccable playing by James Ehnes of Mozart’s Fourth Violin Concerto. To top that off, Grams led the musicians in stirring performances of Kareem Roustom’s “Dabke” and Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture.”

Stravinsky wrote “Agon” in the 12-tone technique, which can sound abstract, dissonant, and dry to the ears. But in Grams’ hands, “Agon” had shape and emotion that made its eccentricity fun to hear. It turns out that Grams, in his earlier career as a violinist, has played this piece numerous times. He elicited an exciting interpretation that skillfully accented the many quirky ensemble combinations, such as timpani, flutes, xylophone, trombones, and concertmaster Sarah Kwak playing in one of the movements. Another featured harp, mandolin, piano, timpani, flutes, basses, and cello. At times, the piece seemed to have an ancient, fragmentary allure, and that made me wonder how dancers would interpret it. It all flowed together so well that the audience rewarded it with sustained applause.

Ehnes, a frequent guest artist with the Oregon Symphony, delivered an elegant and inspired interpretation of Mozart’s Concerto No. 4 for violin and orchestra. Playing with impeccable clarity and control, Ehnes also gave each phrase just the right dash of salt and pepper to make the piece fresh and invigorating. It was a mesmerizing performance by a great artist who makes it all look so effortless. Enthusiastic applause and loud bravos brought Ehnes back to center stage several times, and I think that some folks wanted an encore, but they will have to wait for another engagement from the stellar Canadian virtuoso.

Digging into the rhythmic propulsion of “Dabke” by Syrian-American composer Kareem Roustom, the strings created terrific sonic textures with a Middle Eastern temperament. The violas and basses had a couple of flings with thrumming, thematic lines that jolted the piece forward. I loved the quick, sliding sounds and the intense pizzicato passages. Kwak and the principal strings deftly showed their expertise in several exposed sections, and the piece came across in stunning fashion, resulting in vigorous and loud acclaim from all corners of the hall.

The concert closed with a superb performance of Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture.” Highlights included the swirling, chaotic sounds of the fight scene, and the lush, romantic melody that soared with passion before descending into sadness – with the cellos and basses and finally the last heartbeats from the timpani signaling the lovers’ deaths. It was breathtaking to hear and concertgoers again responded with heartfelt acclamation.

Unsung hero

For his work behind the scenes, Charles Calmer, the orchestra’s vice president for artistic planning, deserves high praise. With only a four-day notice to find a conductor to replace Heyward, Calmer fortunately contacted Grams, who knew the Stravinsky piece forwards and backwards and led the hometown band in another exceptional concert. But with the pandemic still causing problems in Europe, it looks like Calmer will have to be at the ready in the New Year for more last-minute replacements. Hmmm.... maybe we will see Grams, who was until recently the music director of the Elgin Symphony, in the very near future.

Danzmayr rescues Oregon Symphony program and Bronfman stars in Rachmaninoff concerto

Oregon Symphony’s new maestro, David Danzmayr, saved the day in last weekend’s series of concerts. The scheduled conductor, Jun Märkl, experienced visa problems and could not make it to this side of the pond. Danzmayr, who happened to be in town, stepped up and showed a lot of savvy on the podium at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on November 6, teaming up with Yefim Bronfman to dazzle the audience with Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 3. Danzmayr and the orchestra topped that with finely honed interpretations of works by Modest Mussorgsky, Anna Clyne, and Richard Strauss

Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto is considered one of the most difficult in the repertoire with very few pauses for the soloist. Bronfman started the piece quietly and shaped each phrase with care, which invited the listeners into the fantastic soundworld of the composer. His articulation, even while racing up and down the keyboard, was amazing. He demonstrated terrific control, especially exposed in the cadenzas, where he could accelerate into bravura, splashier passages and then shift effortlessly into slow and gentle ones that were as delicate as a daisy.

The orchestra supported Bronfman’s playing deftly. The brief, muted horns in the first movement were just perfect. Kudos to all of the musicians for making the concerto a hit. The patrons in the hall cheered with gusto after the grand finale, calling Bronfman back to the stage several times. He calmed things down by offering a tender Chopin nocturne as an encore. That was wonderful.

The program opened with the Introduction (“Dawn on the Moskva River”) to Mussorgsky’s opera “Khovantchina.” Evoking the tranquility of a morning along the water’s edge, the orchestra created hushed and lovely hues that included bell-like chords from the horns and a touching sense of longing from the flute and clarinet solos.

Anna Clyne’s “This Midnight Hour” opened with a furious, rhythmic rush from the lower strings that seesawed to the brass and back to the lower strings – setting the stage for more sonic turbulence that spread into every section of the orchestra, developing into a chaotic swirl. From this point, a melodic line emerged, and gradually a sense of relaxed order settled in – with two trumpets, stationed in the choir loft behind the orchestra, playing repetitive descending lines that differed slightly. Everything quieted down to a pianissimo until a very loud strike from the timpani marked the end of the piece.

Clyne’s piece seemed to suggest the state of someone who was dealing with a mental episode. In any case, it was an appropriate segue to Strauss’ “Til Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks,” which received a splendid performance from the orchestra. Principal French horn, Jeff Garza led the way in creating the jocular tune of the legendary prankster. The musicians expertly conveyed his shenanigans all the way to the gallows.

It was terrific to see Danzmayr rescue the program with top-notch conducting. The orchestra is in good hands.

HK Guber's eccentric Frankenstein!! highlights Oregon Symphony concert

It was a mixed bag sort of evening at the Oregon Symphony’s concert on October 30 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The program, led by the orchestra’s new music director, David Danzmayr, offered a musical sampler of German and Austrian nougats that ranged from the high Baroque to contemporary music. But no piece topped the uniqueness of HK Gruber’s “Frankenstein!!” with the composer himself as soloist.

Laced with sardonic humor that bordered at times on the macabre, “Frankenstein!!,” (subtitled “A Pan-demonium for Baritone Chansonnier and Ensemble after Children’s Rhymes”) used text by Hans Carl Artmann to warn against monsters, vampires, werewolves, and the like. That fell in the tradition of “Max and Moritz” and Grimm’s “Fairy Tales.” Gruber’s Sprechstimme – from falsetto highs to basement-basso lows – terrifically conveyed the teasing, cheeky text that caused some chuckles from the audience. He skillfully commanded an array of toy instruments that included a slide whistle and a tiny bugle.

The orchestra supported Gruber with glee from the get-go with timpanist Jonathan Greeney blowing up, popping, and tossing paper bags into the horn section. The musicians doubled the fun with melodicas and colorful whirligigs. At one point they stood up – with the strings using their bows to make the sign of the cross – and sang a ditty about stopping an attack by a baby vampire. Overall, “Frankenstein!!” created some mirth in a nod to Halloween, but, as the program notes mentioned, it may have some subtext that questions who the real monsters are.

Another highlight of the evening should have been Bach’s Concerto in C minor for Oboe, Violin and String Orchestra, but it was difficult to hear the soloists, Martin Hébert and Sarah Kwak. It seemed that the new Constellation Sound System was turned off or that the accompanying string section was just too large. Hébert’s elegant and rich tone and Kwak’s silky lines came through best during the pianissimo sections, and it was impossible to hear the harpsichord except for the very last chord at the end of a phrase. One of the coolest moments in the piece came when Hébert reached over to Kwak’s music stand to turn a page of her score while he was holding at note. I’ve never seen that before!

Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 (“Surprise”) received a superb performance by the orchestra, replete with dynamic contrasts that made each passage in the piece intriguing and delicious to hear. The beautiful duet in the third movement was outstandingly played by flutist Martha Long and oboist Karen Wagner. Danzmayr’s dazzling conducting contributed to the stellar effort by his colleagues. Dipping, stretching, crouching – you name it - every gesture was distinct and perfect for the each phrase and never repeated. Amazing!

The concert concluded with an impressive rendition of Johann Strauss Jr’s “Kaiser Walzer” (“Emperor Waltzes”). Again, the orchestra excelled with dynamics, delivering dramatically bold statements and delicate diminuendos among many other nuances that sent the audience out the door with a smile.

Oregon Symphony Brass have a blast at the Lot at Zidell Yards

Norman Huynh, Jeff Garza, and the Oregon Symphony brass | Photo - Connor Meyer

It was truly a wonderful and memorable experience to hear live music again with real live musicians and a real live audience! That was the overwhelming feeling on Friday evening (June 18) at the Lot at Zidell Yards, a new outdoor venue at the foot of the Ross Island Bridge in the South Waterfront neighborhood of Portland. The brass section of the Oregon Symphony gave a festive performance of pieces that spanned centuries and styles under the direction of associate conductor Norman Huynh. The enthusiasm of Huynh and the musicians and the audience was palpable. After the concert concluded, people didn’t rush away. They lingered and seemed to savor the moment. Most of them, like the musicians, had waited 15 months for an opportunity to hear music that was not funneled to them over a computer laptop or was pre-recorded. The concert was like receiving a vaccine shot! Hallelujah!

Notwithstanding a cool breeze, which blew some of the scores off of a few music stands and almost off of the conductor’s stand (Huynh demonstrated cat-quick reflexes more than once), the performers and the audience had a blast. All of the selections were played with great sensitivity to dynamics and pacing. Huynh peppered his commentary to each piece with bits of music history, anecdotal blurb, and humor – just the right blend to give the musicians a break to rest their embouchures. A giant screen provided close-ups of the musicians, so that even those who sat furthest away didn’t miss a thing.

The concert kicked off with Joan Tower’s “Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman” No. 1 and proceed apace with an equally robust ensemble number for two brass choirs by Giovanni Gabrieli. One of the most unusual numbers was Samuel Barber’s “Mutations from Bach,” which included recitatives – given to the French horns – from Bach’s Cantata No. 23. I would like to hear this again someday in a concert hall because the muted sections were difficult to hear.

Principal trumpeter Jeffrey Work conquered Edwin Franko Goldman’s “American Fantasia” with panache. It contained an inventive mixture of folk songs like “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and hymns, such as “Jesus Loves the Little Children of the World.” Work expertly negotiated a dizzying array of runs on his cornet despite a couple of cold jolts from the wind.

Trumpeter Jeff Work  | Photo - James Bash

 
Edward Elgar’s “Nimrod” (arranged by Jay Lichtman) received a fine performance with a big climax that Huynh and the musicians fashioned. This was followed by a stately rendition of James Weldon Johnson’s “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (arranged by Jari A. Villanueva) in tribute to Juneteenth. Then came Ástor Piazzola’s “Maria of Buenos Aires” (arranged by Steven Verhelst) in a performance that had bounce and verve plus a really wicked fugue introduced by the trombones.

Jeff Garza made his solo debut as the orchestra’s new principal French hornist with Hoagy Carmichael’s “Stardust” (in an arrangement by John Iveson). Gaza created a lovely, warm sound that complimented the dimming skyline.

The ensemble wound up the evening with a wonderful “Carmen Suite” by arranger Douglas Hasilip of music from Bizet’s opera “Carmen” and finally “Quidditch,” which John Williams wrote for the Harry Potter movies.

 
Between one of the pieces, just after one of the windy blasts, Huynh commented, “We missed our opportunity to play music from Gone with the Wind.”

Aptly said!

Shostakovich's 11th the Loudest Thing Ever? Maybe...

Robert Trevino (c) Lisa Hancock

On Feb 22 the Oregon Symphony welcomed first-time conductor Robert Trevino, who had the titanic task of bringing to life Shostakovich's Symphony No 11 in G minor, "The Year 1905," which was (ostensibly) written in memoriam to the heroes of that last great Russian revolution before the big one finally succeeded in 1917.

But first, after a brief piece Icarus in Orbit by George Walker, was a work at the polar opposite of the Shostakovich stylistically speaking, the Violin Concerto in A Minor by Gian Carlo Menotti, with concert master Sarah Kwak taking on solo duties.

There was no big intro to the Menotti, just a sudden but not sharp attack by Kwak. A persistent, hopscotching saltando gave way to a gentle, stirring serenade. Kwak's insight was fantastic--almost bordering on understated but never giving way to tiresomeness. Very much the opposite--there was tremendous variety in her phrasing, and inventive emotive intent was her hallmark.  The Adagio opened with a resounding timbre worthy of the famed Kreisler concerto. The extended orchestral tacets gave Kwak all the room she needed to explore, and I'm sure I was not the only one who felt like listening to her solo all evening.

Sarah Kwak

The Shostakovich, on the other hand...suffice it to say this was an entirely different animal. Lurking and mysterious at the outset, the presage to the bloodshed imparted a sense of brooding, of impending action.  This tautness was difficult to sustain for long periods and yet keep interesting--several minutes with nothing but pianissimo timpani and snare drum with an occasional melody instrument peeping through--and yet rather than dulling, the tension increased.

Then the action began! A frenetic, tutti battaglia--the timpanist was a master of understatement, and there was terrific work from the brass choir, especially the trumpets, unafraid of getting their hands dirty. There were throaty molto fortissimi that almost defied description, and Trevino did a marvelous job of instilling balance with a hundred people playing with all their might. The heart-pounding excitement from the percussion cannot be overstated.

In the third movement there was awesomely menacing stuff from low brass and winds. Balance issues became a factor later as the unmuted trumpets simply overpowered the strings--there's only so much noise you can wring out of the strings before the trumpets just have to quiet down a bit.  There were long savory staccatissimo passages from bass and cello--horsehair was flying all over the stage.  The English horn solo in the finale was exquisitely rubato, and Trevino kept mysteriously directing the one soloist  (who did not need it) while ignoring the 2 harps and  30 violins who were desperately trying (and failing) to keep their pizzicato entrances on the beat. Sometimes the conductor needs to be a metronome, and the strings were the ones who needed a metronome at that moment, not the masterful cor anglais soloist.

That being said, the entire experience was exquisite. The tuned bell plates at the end (or to use the much more satisfying term, plattenglocken ) were so horrifyingly loud (in a good way) that the harpists were desperately cramming in ear plugs. The finale was certainly one of the loudest unamplified musical experiences I've ever heard, and I reveled in the sheer, childish joy of just hearing so much unalloyed, unapologetic noise!  I'm sure I was laughing because it was so fun, but believe me, no one heard.

Portland audiences are known for being extremely appreciative, something which I believe is a mark of pride for our city, but I have seldom seen so many curtain calls or such enthusiastic applause, as Trevino came out again and again and again to acknowledge each section and certain soloists, and when the percussion stood to be recognized the huzzahs almost blew the roof off the Schnitz.  This was the most fun I've had in a long time, and you just can't experience this kind of thing without going to hear live music.

Kalmar and the Oregon Symphony deliver glorious Mozart and Mahler

Alexi Kenney

On Saturday November 16 violinist Alexi Kenney joined Carlos Kalmar and the Oregon Symphony to perform Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major ("Strassburg"), and the orchestra finished the evening with Mahler's "Tragic" Symphony, No. 6 in A Minor.

Initially the strings felt a bit anemic, so the winds fortunately added a needed spark.  There was a perfect sync between solo and orchestra, and it almost felt as though Kenney were serenading the players and they responded in kind. Intensive and focused restraint was necessary from the orchestra to let Kenney's delicacy shine, and the OSO did just that.  Kenney's cadence was delicious, coming as it did on the heels of a long sustained crescendo.

Kenney displayed no over-reliance on predictable cadential trills--he played straight scales and arpeggios so that when the trills did happen, they really meant something, just as they ought. The adagio felt like a siren call, a subdued murmuring from an orchestra playing with baited breath--the tenderest and most sympathetic adagio possible. Not the flashiest or most technically demanding work in the repertoire, still this concerto was great fun to hear.

The Mahler opened with a doomsaying thrum on the low strings--there was no holding back here. Diabolical visions emerged from the piercing fanfare of the brass. The strings were like a seething sea of melancholy from which the horns bravely but impossibly tried to extricate themselves. The horn solo was fantastic--smooth and perfect, before the horrifying blasts from the low strings yet again.

The Andante was a beatific ascension, and Kalmar the OSO read one another's intent and movement flawlessly. What an heroic chordal display unfolded from the brass--leaning on the lower neighbor tones so hard they almost broke, creating an incredible tension that then resolved in an angelic chorus, and immense sentimentality flowed from the orchestra in wave after golden wave. The third movement featured more shocking eructations from the brass, who really had their work cut out for them this night.

The finale began with some clunky explorations, with handsome, throaty intonation from the violas.  The horn work was especially impressive all evening--uniform and splendorous. The amazing molto pianissimo from the violins was such a subtle whispering that one couldn't be sure if they were actually making a sound, or whether it was something that was felt from the inside, a sympathetic harmonic vibration from within. As the end drew nigh OSO exposed a titanic and eschatological furor, as grandiose as one could want from Mahler.

Oregon Symphony closes the season with a Titanic Mahler and Weill

Storm Large

The Oregon Symphony closed the 2018-19 season with a Mahler Symphony, as has been the tradition for some years. In addition there was a special presentation of Kurt Weill's ballet chanté (sung ballet) The Seven Deadly Sins, his final collaboration with lyricist Bertolt Brecht, which tells the story of Anna 1 and Anna 2,  two sisters (or are there really two of them?) on a journey (in this English translation) across the U.S., with seven cities each representing one of the sins.

Portland-based chanteuse Storm Large took center stage for the Weill. A stool and a small table with a wine bottle and glass formed the set, and in the prologue Storm's easy, confident performance found good footing with the slow, steady pulse of the orchestra. Hudson Shad, a male vocal ensemble, sang the part of The Family, which played the role of a Greek Chorus commenting on the action.

During Sloth, Hudson Shad sang the menacing call and response, and the vocalists were tremendous. Storm sang with immaculate diction, and during Pride she showed an unabashed, frowzy sensuality as she stripped off her greatcoat and danced in a slinky cocktail dress.  Her performance was dynamic and believable--one couldn't help but root for her all the way. During Anger Storm sang a lengthy, repetitive pedal point that was absolutely concise, clear and bell-like. Gluttony featured a delicious a cappella chorus from Hudson Shad, who with their oh-so-serious moralizing reinforced the satirical nature of the work. The vocalizing from the entire group, but especially from Storm Large, was extremely powerful while never sacrificing exacting clarity.  This performance was a treat, and the wealth of experience the vocalists have performing this specific work shone brightly.

Mahler's Symphony No. 1 in D Major, "Titan" opened with the orchestra taking a mythic tone indeed, cyclopean and trembling strings leading into the ghostly off-stage fanfare. Maestro Kalmar is wonderful at immense, broad soundscapes, and he led the orchestra effectively from the opening threnody to the dizzying pastorale.  The zesty, rumbling rum-pum-pum from the strings in the second movement was fantastic, betraying the somnolent, stygian  Frère Jacques that opens the third. The orchestra found its way into the jarringly joyous dance tune, and as the two themes went back and forth they were never allowed to grow stale: always morphing dynamically or texturally, growing now more sparing, now more longing.  The startling, horrifying triple forte in the fourth movement was a shock even though most people (probably) knew it was coming. Was Mahler intentionally channeling Haydn's great moment from the 'Surprise Symphony here? Maybe. It certainly had a similar effect on the audience.

A piece like this, made for a large, lush, modern orchestra, should be played deftly, subtlely, and yet with appropriate emotionality and bombast when required. It's very immensity requires that each small part do its job; there is little margin for error here precisely because of its grandeur. Having been on the other side of Maestro Kalmar's baton numerous times, I can attest that his bold, often frenetic gesturing belies a meticulous rigidity that holds together the tremendous musical forces that can so easily go astray. As usual it was a pleasure to watch the maestro lead such a tremendous group of performers, and it was a fittingly stupendous finale.

Dr. Atomic and the Rach 2 form an impressive outing by the Oregon Symphony

Marc-Andre Hamelin

Saturday February 23 saw the OSO present an intense and weighty concert featuring the Dr. Atomic Symphony, distilled from the opera of the same name by composer John Adams, the Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor by Rachmaninoff, and Richard Strauss's Death and Transfiguration.*

The evening opened with symphony based on Adams's opera, which deals with the emotions of Robert J. Oppenheimer in the days preceding the first test of an atomic weapon on human history, deep in the New Mexico desert. In Adams's own words the work "is kind of explosive, as if it were Oppenheimer's plutonium sphere just about to go supercritical." The disturbing cacophony from the first notes onward set the tone for this deeply serious work.  The tremendous percussion section of the OSO had their work cut out for them in this piece, with tuned gongs, thunder sheet, tam tams and crotales among the instruments featured prominently, not to mention the incredibly demanding part written for the timpani, and the section executed everything masterfully. The double basses grumbled like a disgruntled animal, and contributed to an unsettling feeling of being on the ragged edge of something terrifying, unavoidable and yet somehow profoundly alluring.  The OSO explored the fascinating, syncopated sound world fearlessly, and the haunting trumpet in the final act gave voice to the tortured mind of Oppenheimer contemplating the awesome power of the destructive device he has wrought.

Marc-Andre Hamelin was the soloist for the Rachmaninoff piano concerto. The chordal passages at the opening were bold and beautiful, but his arpeggios, while precise, felt a bit understated. Dream-like scalar passages were unfortunately marred by the orchestra being slightly out of sync with the soloist, by a narrow but consistently noticeable margin, especially in the cadences. At other times the voice of the piano was simply subsumed by the orchestra.

In the Adagio, the duets between piano and various woodwinds were delightful, like a breathless lullaby. The long, slow solo part was followed by strings playing molto cantabile for all they were worth, swooning and soaring.  Hamelin was brilliant, hanging on every isolated note and phrase, infusing them with deep meaning.  He attacked the final movement with a jocular staccatissimo, playing with a tinkling, vibraphone-like quality. For all his deft and delicate touch he still brought the thunder for the showy Rach fireworks display, and the orchestra did a much better job of getting out of the soloists way in the finale.

*Due to illness I was unable to stay and review the Strauss, which comprised the second half of the evening.

Funny stuff. Oregon Symphony delivers a quirky, rewarding Zimmerman, Shostakovich program.

Johannes Moser

The Oregon Symphony put together a program of divers emotional effect on Saturday January 12th. Pairing the brooding intensity of Shostakovich's first cello concerto with Bernd Alois Zimmerman's absurdist Music for the Suppers of King Ubu (with some Rossini and Rimsky-Korsakov thrown in to boot), the programming was ambitious and imaginative.

The eclectic opening work by Zimmermann, known for his quotations and pastiche,  consisted of eight short movements with a short standup routing by local comic Jason Traeger in between each one. Traeger's bits were (by and large) pretty funny; some were downright scarily insightful and hilarious, fitting for a work that is by Zimmerman's own words a cautionary tale about what can happen to a liberal elite when a dictator takes over.

Featuring quotations from Mussorgsky, Bach, Wagner, Richard Strauss and others, the farcical nature of the work established itself right off the bat. The work was littered with honking, squawking eructations from the brass, syncopated eruptions by the percussion--the entire piece was a giant finger in the eye to the elite and their pretensions. Delightful and joyous baroque dances and quotations by Bach ensued in the third movement. In the fourth, entitled Pile, Cotise and the Bear, the tuba and contrabasses seemed to dare the audience not to hear the great beast shambling onto the stage. The Phynancial Horse and the Lackeys of Phynance had all the stentorian stuffiness of a wealthy captain of industry putting on public airs with no pants on. Glorious dissonances from the ensemble, strangely delicate and clunky simultaneously, preceded and ominous, fast-paced executioner's march heading into a quote of Die Walkure and the finale. This was a weird and wonderful piece that was almost too much fun for everyone involved.

Following a delightful Tancredi overture by Rossini, Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major was the meat of the evening. Cellist Johannes Moser, beginning a 3-year artist-in-residence position with OSO, displayed an emotional dexterity immediately. Playing with an almost understated sonority--a pure, thorough and direct realization--he quickly metamorphosed into intense perturbation--a wailing, warbling tremolo that grabbed at the heart strings. Technically, the evenness of the difficult chordal passages and remarkable cantando he brought to bear were absolutely vital to understanding this piece which, like most Shostakovich, couldn't be described as upbeat or effortlessly accessible. His singing passages were subsumed by an incessant, suffocating motility from the orchestra; Moser bore up like a beset wanderer at the center of a tempest.

The Moderato was completely different--Moser played it like a lyrical threnody, but almost too weary to be terribly sad. In the high registes he played with the tenderest tremolando, so like a violin, and the trio between the soloist playing harmonics, clarinet and celesta was otherworldly. A prosaic intro in to the Cadenza exploded into an impassioned outburst--varying styles of pizzicato, and a his flawless realization of a fantastically difficult simultaneous pizz and arco section highlighted the amazing breadth of the palette from which Moser can draw. His tenure as OSO's artist-in-residence should be an exciting and rewarding one indeed.

The overture from Rimsky-Korsakov's Russian Easter Festival closed out the evening. Concert master Sarah Kwak was in fine form with several lonely, mysterious solo segments, and the trombones were simply glorious in their perfect unisons. This was a great showcase for the ensemble, and an energetic finale to a fascinating, daring and diverse all-around program from Maestro Kalmar and Co.

Barry Douglas delights OSO audiences with a surprise Beethoven Concerto

Barry Douglas

Sunday February 25 saw Oregon Symphony audiences presented with a surprise performance of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor by Barry Douglas, who flew in to Portland from Belfast 2 nights before opening night upon the illness of pianist Francesco Piemontesi, who had been slated to perform Franck's Symphonic Variations and Richard Strauss' Burleske.

Opening with Samuel Barber's Second Essay for Orchestra,  the OSO played this incredibly lush and inviting work well, changing from somber and beautiful to frenetic chasing, spritely and light, with a sure and deft hand.

The orchestral interpretation that associate conductor Norman Huynh chose for the Beethoven was a bit too polite and reserved, but Douglas was in fine form. His opening was dry, exposed and intimate, almost intentionally self-conscious it seemed, and he showed a deft, singing baritone that cut through the orchestral texture without being too pronounced. One could feel the true delight in his playing, which was almost dreamy at times.  The Largo was sleepy and yet his arpeggios were somehow quietly thunderous, gentle and yet full of character. The finale allowed Douglas to display show off his fireworks in the lightning chromatic motives. This was a performance marked by true understanding, and emotional as well as physical dexterity.

The marvelous, lengthy crescendo in the first movement of the Sibelius was built on spectral trumpet echoes and fierce tremolando from the strings, and the bassoon played a sad, baleful melody behind. There were balance issues during the fortissimos; it seemed impossible to restrain the crashing brass, and strings were at times completely subsumed though they were pounding away with all fury. Huynh however did a good job at bringing out a vague sense of menace, which could easily have been glossed over.  The Andante mosso was as pastoral as one could want, with different textures exploding from the depths of a dense sound-sea. The work closed with a grandiose blend from the brass, eliciting every ounce of emotion from the august swan theme.

Fantastic images, personal interpretations mark Oregon Symphony's 'Rite of Spring'

Elina Vähälä

The Oregon Symphony set out to give the audience what it wanted (quite literally) on its Rite of Spring weekend, and appeared to succeed admirably. After engaging with the OSO listening public and various community partners, the result was the 'Sounds of Home' series, that "pairs exhiliarating repertoire with stunning visual displays to explore timely issues in the Portland community and beyond," according to OSO.  The series opening on January 13 was bold and challenging, both in terms of repertoire and visual elements.

One of the hallmarks of the evening seemed to be personal interpretations; Maestro Kalmar, whose natural charisma and vast knowledge alway make for engaging and edifying remarks, seemed even more intimate in his speaking and conducting.  The incredible personal touches from violinist Elina Vähälä and the visuals by multimedia experience designer Matthew Haber added to this in that all the images he used were from Oregon, and so personal to our state.  In keeping with that spirit I shall be incorporating a few personal touches in the form of memories and observations to this review.

The opening piece was Haydn's Symphony No. 70 in D Major, one reason for its choosing being that it is not one of the better-known chestnuts from this voluminous oeuvre.  Its opening was spritely and almost terpsichorean; clean, bright and balanced. A surprisingly bold attack on the menuet in the third movement was refreshing, and the Allegro con brio finale contained a crisply executed contrapuntal section. This fugue served as a reminder of the incredible transitional period that was the span of Haydn's life (1732-1809)--as a young man, his early compositions were written when old Master Bach and other great maestros of the high baroque were still composing, and he lived through the gallant and Viennese classical on through to the first whisperings of the Romantic, some of which can be heard in his last works.

The second work of the first half was a titanic violin concerto, Bartók's Violin Concerto No. 2. Vähälä opened with a full frontal assault--almost transgressive in her chordal attack. Kalmar expertly brought the orchestal dynamic down when they began to overshadow Vähälä's pianissimo trills. There followed a loud, almost vulgar tremolo from winds and strings and a saucy glissando from the soloist. Vähälä leaned heavily on a melodic minor motif which produced an incredible effect of maximum dissonance.  The soloist opened the theme and variations of the second movement began with a very sere exposition, a sort of poco mezzo saltando that was affecting and delicious. The strings had some great slapping, snapping pizzicato fun, and Vähälä delivered a haunting siren song seemingly out of nowhere with sorcerous ability, and closed the work with bacchanalian fervor.

The usual backdrop behind the stage at the Schnitz  was a stylized, mountainous series of screens covering the dingy old choir loft, the self-same loft where I have spent many an hour over the years as a bass waiting for the fourth movement of the Beethoven 9 to begin. 'The long sit,' I've always called it. Leading to the bad old joke about how the choir occupies its time while waiting--'it's the bottom of the 9th and the basses are loaded.'  But tonight the space was being used for something much different. 

As Stravinsky's seminal Rite of Spring began, scenes of flowers budding and seedlings sprouting accompanied the delightful woodwind cacophony.  Haber's images were kaleidoscopic--distracting from the music at first it seemed but maybe only to a reviewer trying to take notes? At any rate it soon seemed to mesh more smoothly. The images changed to cityscapes as the music grew bolder.  Ephemeral wisps of smoke devolved into human, plant and animal shapes before quickly dissolving.  The OSO played this difficult piece high and tight as one would expect from this group, displaying incredible subtlety and cocksure boldness in equal measures. Infectious, beautiful and arrestingly violent, the music then began accompanying disturbing images of fungal spores waving and bobbing like heads in a crowd. With weeping slime molds and spores blossoming in an uncomfortable reminiscence of mushroom clouds, the work finished showing the magic of decay.

Oregon Symphony plays Beethoven and themes inspired by ancient masters

Sunday November 19 saw the Oregon Symphony perform a night of Beethoven music and music inspired by the master, under the direction of guest conductor Johannes Debus, and featuring guest ensemble the St. Lawrence String Quartet.

The Viennese master's Symphony No. 2 in D Major comprised the first half of the concert. Its appropriately stentorian opening was followed by suitable delicacy when called for; the sort of work that is the OSO's bread and butter. In the Larghetto the strings groaned and breathed like a single great mellifluous organ, and later in the fourth movement they managed rapid acrobatics nicely. There were some good sounds here, but the overall interpretation felt a bit restrained, perhaps missing something personal that a straightforward work like this really needs in order to feel fresh.

John Adams enormous Absolute Jest from 2012 began the second half. This work consisted of a series of quotations of Beethoven (mostly the late string quartets) that were reworked (often intensely reworked harmonically) and stretched into an elaborate set of variations. In the form of a concerto for string quartet, the St. Lawrence String Quartet did the heavy lifting here. Following an extensive preview of some themes from the monumental Op 131 quartets, the group challenged the audience to find the 8 other Beethoven themes used throughout the work (Sidenote: I was able to identify a few, but nowhere near all 8. Intense Beethovenians would do much better at it than I.)  In the Presto, the work produced a disquieting sensation when a spritely scherzo by the quartet was played over a see of dissonant, vaguely ominous chordal motives from the orchestra. The piece at times became a confusing welter--alarming warbling exclamations from horns clomping around like the footsteps of some immense monster, blatting and burbling away in brutal syncopation.

The string quartet deserves high praise: this was an incredibly difficult rendering of incredibly difficult underlying music, and their lively, precise and enthusiastic interpretation was quite something. A tricky piece indeed to hold together--such was the character of the piece it felt close to careering off the rails at times but of course never did. Without particularly enjoying the overall effect, I felt profound respect for both Adams, the OSO and the St. Lawrence String Quartet at not shying away from a difficult challenge.

Paul Hindemith's Symphonic Metamorphosis of Carl Maria von Weber closed out the evening. The strings had a fascinating, insect-like sul ponticello scritching and the winds managed a difficult fughetta seamlessly. It was difficult to top off an afternoon of fireworks like this with a suitable bang, yet somehow the March at the end of the work achieved it. The concert was a bit of bold programming; it was fascinating to hear modernizations in such drastically different styles by composers of the high classical era.

Baldur Brönniman and the Oregon Symphony deliver a nuanced Shostakovich 5th Symphony

Baldur Brönniman

Guest conductor Baldur Brönnimann led the Oregon Symphony for the first time in a riveting concert on Monday, October 16th at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. A varied program featuring works by Portuguese composer Ângela da Ponte, Saint-Saëns and Shostakovich, it was a fun and yet deep evening of music.

Da Ponte, who grew up in the Azores, wrote The Rising Sea based upon a poem called Ídilio by Antero de Quental.  An OSO premiere, the piece was a mysterious, largely atonal sound painting, with susurating entrances and exits, strange quacking mutes in the brass; densely textured and programmatic it was a worthy piece to hear.

Cellist Johannes Moser, last with the OSO for the Schumann concerto in 2014, returned as soloist for Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor.  Moser was charismatic and even dashing; holding the audience and orchestra alike in the grip of his intensity, he seemed simultaneously to be having way too much fun. Displaying a deft, even delicate touch even in the bold exposition, he interpreted the melodies lovingly--heroic when called for, yet not bombastic. In the Allegretto he made the moment feel like a strophic song somehow, leading a marvelous balancing act with the orchestra. Much of this work was high up on the instrument, yet his technique in the lower registers was affective and moving. An effortless technician, he succeeded in bringing out the very heart of this piece.

Swiss conductor Baldur Brönnimann had a difficult challenge with the Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 in D Minor. There is a tendency to make this piece weighty and ponderous, yet all the material is there for an interpretation that is almost the exact opposite, and Brönnimann elicited this from the OSO.

In the first movement, the dialogue between high and low strings was profound and direct--no equivocating here. The clarinet solo was not haunting, yet somehow austere and lonely. The ominous intrusion of the piano and brass set off a fine frenzy with the rest of the group, and later as the hubbub receded, the flute and horn duet was a moment of singular beauty.  In the second movement the bassoon solo was saucy, like a grand, grave, darkly humorous waltz, and in the third movement the trio with two flutes and harp was spare and sonorous, followed by a broad elegy from the strings.  Like a fierce Slavic folk dance, the grand arrival at the finale was the fulfillment of the long promise beforehand.

Brönnimann was brilliant all evening, but especially so in the Shostakovich. There are so many gems large and small in this monumental work, and the conductor expertly picked them all out, deftly shepherding the players through this task. A deeply pensive work like this could trend toward the dull, yet it never went there; Brönnimann and the OSO were constantly engaging and energetic, and the Saint-Saëns and Shostakovich were nothing short of a triumph. One hopes to see Baldur Brönnimnann at the helm of the OSO again soon.

Oregon Symphony Delivers Marine Sound Feast Centered around Debussy's La Mer

Fingal's Cave
Thomas Moran, 1884 oil on canvas

Saturday the 22nd at the Schnitz the Oregon Symphony played a concert that was largely marine in theme, with works by Mendelssohn, Debussy, and an American premier by Toshio Hosokawa. The lone exception was the Violin Concerto by Benjamin Britten, featuring soloist Simone Lamsma and directed by the excellent Jun Markl.

The opening work was Mendelssohn's The Hebrides (Fingal's Cave).The famous see-sawing, sighing opening theme immediately giving the evening a nautical footing, and the orchestra transitioned nicely to the stormy motive and back again, conveying a sense of disquiet, and a restless sea.

Simone Lamsma returned to the stage for OSO for the first time since her smashing performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto last year. She plays strongly, insistent yet not without delicacy. She clearly has something to say, and makes that plain from the start. Her technique is spectacular and wide-ranging: a fierce chordal spiccato, intensive sawing in the low range yielding to nimble, dance-like moments further up. The many tragical moments of the work were not yet drowned in sorrow--her instrument sang with a voice that could not be repressed, nor yet weighted down by sadness. Other sections demanded a fierce, saucy pizzicato, reveling in two-note dissonances.

In the Vivace there were terrifying glissandi, and she handed off the haunting harmonic passages seamlessly to the piccoli, a difficult transition with a memorable effect. The cadenza was completely mesmerizing, including a difficult trick of bowing some strings while simultaneously plucking others with the left hand. The fantastically difficult chromatic runs of the finale she handled with ease, yielding to a meditative exhalation. Truly a spectacular performance.

The second half opened with the American premier of Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa's Circulating Ocean, a programmatic piece also meant to suggest the cycle of human life from nothingess, to existence, then a return to non-existence. De niente, winds began to sound from an aspirated alto flute and other winds as gentle tinkling from tiny Japanese wind bells broke through the breathy atmosphere. A very evocative feeling of crawling mist grew, with the brass gurgling up, muffled as if from a great depth. Surrounding all was a ceaseless susurration from the strings.

This was a fantastically imaginative work early on for percussion: tam tams and bowed celesta, Japanese temple bowls and the wind bells and an antique cymbal featured among the instruments.  There was next to nothing by way of true melody early on: snatches here and there from celesta but later there were bits of half-themes and short motives from flute, bassoon and strings. It was really more of a great sound-picture, a reflection on impermanence. This was a work of stunning imagination, and this surely will not be the last time it is heard in the U.S.

Debussy's great symphonic work La Mer closed out the evening. The intro and moments later in the third felt almost rusty--what should at times have been mellifluous instead came off as stilted. All the pieces were there, just not perfectly fit together.  The second movement, the Jeu de vagues, really pulled together well. Much more effortless; the stunning, giant crescendo and fortissimo arrival was incredibly evocative and breathtaking.   The movement continued frenetic and moody, with wonderful work from strings--violins appropriately sentimental at times, and with grandiose yet subdued work from the cellos.

The entire evening was really incredible stuff--there was some fantastic noise being made that night, in the best sense of the term. This concert repeats tonight and tomorrow night at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall.

Oregon Symphony and Portland Symphonic Choir deliver a fine Mozart Requiem

Stephen Zopfi

Monday night, April 10, saw the final OSO performance of the Mozart Requiem by a Stephen Zopfi-trained Portland Symphonic Choir, as he has announced his retirement from the PSC as of the end of this season. Guest conductor Jean-Marie Zeitouni also led the group in An arrangement of Purcell's Chacony in G-minor, and Stravinsky's Symphony in Three Movements.

The Chacony, arranged by Joby Talbott, was a fascinating beginning. It was lovely and haunting, presaging the Mozart in its ominous glory. The copious use of bells, including bowed crotales, lent a  slightly cacophonous atmosphere to the piece, as dissonances held and then suddenly dissipated.

The first movement of the Stravinsky featured excellent, often subtle but important work for for the piano, following a sort of monstrous plodding opening. The OSO rendered this work as peripatetic and delightfully strange. Stravinsky must have loved the bassoon considering all the tasty arts he wrote for it over the years, and the OSO bassoonists did not disappoint.  Zeitouni guided the orchestra through difficult shoals in this piece, showing himself to be a capable leader.

As is Zopfi's wont, the PSC sang Mozart's iconic Requiem in D Minor using Germanicized Latin, different in many respects from the usual Church Latin, but the correct choice for this performance. There were balance problems with the choir and orchestra initially, with the sopranos and altos sublimated to the orchestra, but these issues were shortly remedied. Soprano soloist Katie Van Kooten set the standard early, scything through the thick orchestral texture without over-delivery.

By the Kyrie, the balance problems with choir and orchestra were largely resolved, and it was full and forceful.  The Dies Irae featured marvelous diction from the chorus (as did the whole work by and large).  Mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke wowed during the Tuba Mirum, and the Rex Tremendae featured a delicious, knock-you-out of your seat 'Rex!' one of many features showing just how well the PSC knows this work.

The soloists, all fine singers individually, left something to be desired by way of ensemble performance. Van Kooten sometimes overpowered the other voices, but really left me wishing that the others could have stepped up to her level of sound production, as she was wonderful to hear. Nevertheless, balance and blend was sometimes lost.

The Confutatis and the Lacrimosa must surely be among the most satisfying choral movements ever, both in terms of performing them and listening to them, and the PSC thrived in this moment. The sopranos and altos execution of sighing, weeping motives, the bass and tenors thundering out the fearful dream of hellfire--the most anticipated moments of the evening lived up to their centuries-old hype and were everything a listener could wish for.

The Requiem shone as a collection of discrete movements, and because of the quality of the movements (obviously mostly because of Mozart but Levin's gold-standard completion should not be forgotten) this was not a bad thing to hear; quite the opposite.  Somehow, emotionally it didn't pull fully together as a cohesive whole; given the quality of sound from both choir and orchestra it felt as though Zeitouni did not quite get it done as he did the first half of the evening, and ensemble problems from the soloists did not help.

As a final note, Stephen Zopfi's contribution to Portland's choral community, and arts community as a whole, cannot be underestimated. The PSC has more performances of their own this season, but too often the work of a choral conductor is overlooked when the baton is handed to an orchestral conductor who will be leading the group in concert. Having sung under Stephen for a number of years in the PSC, I can say unreservedly that Portland audiences will miss the work of this brilliant, hard-working and extremely knowledgeable musician in the years to come. Adieu, maestro.

Dvorak's New World Symphony is fresh and new in the hands of the Oregon Symphony

Yefim Bronfman

Monday evening at the Schnitz saw the Oregon Symphony perform Symphony No. 9 in E Minor, Dvorak's famous 'New World' Symphony, as well as a Beethoven concerto and a striking new work by Sebastian Currier.

Called Microsymph, an accurate title, Currier's work consisted of five short movements for a total of about 12 minutes. Short, expressive and engrossing, here is a sample of the impressions each movement left behind:

quickchange: Hectic, repercussive, tumltuous, like busy traffic that suddenly detoured into a mystic silent alleyway. minute waltz: Chuffing 'cuckoo, cuckoo,' discordant yet sweet horns. adagio: Elegiac, hypnotic--the ability--nay, necessity-- of drawing in the listeners' imagination in the shortest possible time was on display. nanoscherzo: Tootling, mechanical, tock-ticking. kaleidoscope: Brass squawking, imploring, cajoling, sighing unison chonking, secret whispering between sections. This piece was imaginative and bold, and the OSO handled it like champs.

Pianist Yefim Bronfman joined for Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4. in G Major. This much more quiet, subdued work seemed to be right in Bronfman's wheelhouse. The orchestral opening was suitably grandiose yet not overblown, and Bronfman's brilliant runs of thirds were shining and crisp at the outset. The delicacy of his touch was almost surprising--nothing was ever overstated. The orchestra succeeded at the incredibly difficult task of allowing the gentility of the pianist's touch to yet shine through the orchestral texture. Kalmar's sense of balance was superb, and the orchestra followed. The numerous trills needed to be kept fresh and varied in the latter movements, and Bronfman again did not disappoint, going on further to display an entirely different timbre for each individual voice within contrapuntal sections to a truly marvelous effect. This concerto, so different from some of Beethoven's more iconic works, was fresh and lively in Bronfman's hands.

The second half consisted of Dvorak's iconic symphony, labeled 'From the New World.'  The genesis of what might be thought of as an 'American' sound for classical music, the OSO did not shy away from the bold statements to be found herein. The grandiose opening theme built in the brass until it was like towering thunderheads piling up over a far landscape. The strings sang a prairie lullaby with tenderness and rusticity, tossed gently between the strings and solo flute.  In the second movement the woodwind choir played the tender theme with such warmth and care that it enfolded the listener in a womb of calm and repose. The explosive exposition of the fourth movement featured controlled power from the brass--pushing the absolute limit without going over the edge. The delicate tremolando from the violins, the saltando theme when violas were the only strings playing, the powerful, sawing theme from the low strings--all were executed to perfection.

The transportative nature of the music at this concert lay not in the compositions alone, but in the interpretation--superb execution by elite players is required to complete the effect. Kalmar's reading was as expansive and wide-ranging as the music required to bring its meaning to fruition. This is what the OSO can deliver when they are at their best--and Monday night they were indeed.

Oregon Symphony's Russian program satisfies...ultimately.

Simone Lamsma

The Oregon Symphony played the final night of a Russian-heavy program at the Schnitz Monday evening, featuring Shostakovich's Symphony No. 1 in F minor  and Tchaikovsky's Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, featuring Dutch player Simone Lamsma as soloist.

The folks who were parking during the "parking overture" didn't miss much, unfortunately. Danish composer Carl Nielsen's Helios Overture was flat from the start, literally and emotionally. A sour start and continued pitch issues from the horns muddied what should have been a quivering, bracing opening, and the orchestra followed suit with an underwhelming delivery. Surprising, frankly, because this is the sort of thing at which the OSO usually excels.

Immediately following was the Shostakovich. This piece felt like it took a minute or two to get going, but because of its length it could afford an unfortunate if understandable 'warm-up' phase. With so many rapid-fire entrances and exits from so many sections, the orchestra had to be right on cue--constant attention to the conductor was key. They achieved this, and there were tasty treats from many sections and players, including second chair first violin...a solo executed with just the right blend of gusto and restraint.  The second movement featured brilliant switching between the principal themes as they were bandied about between the sections.

The opening of the Lento third movement featured an oboe solo floating gently like a bird soaring over a hushed sea of strings--lush and full bodied, the strings perfectly captured the mysterious spirit of the movement. The final movement closed in raging moments of brutal exclamations from the brass and percussion. Such rapidly and radically shifting moods throughout the piece required a steady and able hand, and resident conductor Paul Ghun Kim ably guided them through the treacherous course.

The second half consisted of the violin concerto, and Lamsma had the audience hooked right from the start. She opened with a fine, broad cantabile, featuring a rich lower range. Her technical brilliance was unmistakable from the start--she executed difficult chordal and scalar passages with exciting thoroughness and clarity. Her lengthy, spritely cadenza was intensely interesting, featuring daring harmonics and glissandi.

During the Finale: Allegro vivacissimo she played with a rapidfire saltando that seemed at times to throw down a friendly challenge to the orchestra: just try and keep up! My tongue is planted firmly in cheek when I say she was having far to much fun for a soloist in such a serious work.

Oregon Symphony Brings out Portland's Trekkers with Star Trek (2009)

On Friday night, January 31 the Oregon Symphony shared with Portland a project that is of special significance to a great number of folks around the world. J.J. Abrams' Star Trek  (2009) caused an instantaneous rift amongst Trekkers (or Trekkies, if one prefers the old term) when it first came out. Some saw it as an abomination, its one unforgivable crime being that it had the audacity to have an entire set of new, younger actors take over the beloved roles from the Original Series and its follow up films. Or maybe it was that it altered the original Trek timeline that led to the events portrayed in the Original Series. Or maybe it was that the style of the genre itself was rebooted--this was a sci-fi action film first and foremost. So there were a number of unforgivable crimes depending upon whom you ask. Or there were none (count me in this category of fan.) The one inarguable fact is that it re-enervated, in the general public's mind, a moribund franchise which had had no TV or motion picture presence for over 5 years--yet before that had had an unbroken string of 10 films since 1979 and 4 TV shows since 1987 (and that's not including the Original Series and an animated series in the 60s and early 70s)--almost inarguably the largest footprint of any Sci-Fi franchise in history.

Whenever the discussion of the Star Trek reboot films (this one and 2013's Star Trek: Into Darkness) comes up  there is invariably controversy, but amongst Trekkers I know, no one was complaining about this opportunity to see the OSO perform Michael Giacchino's thrilling score live, accompanying a screening of the 2009 film. Upon first hearing I was immediately excited that the Oregon Symphony chose to take on this production; I remember being glued to my chair at 6 years old in the late 70s, riveted by a TV show that took my imagination to places no other show could touch. I have seen every single Star Trek film in the theater since the first in 1979 when I was 7; that's 12 films over 34 years), and have watched hundreds upon hundreds of TV episodes over the years. So it was very personally thrilling to have the chance to support both OSO and Trek, two organizations that have brought so much joy to my life.

And many, many others share this view; there were Star Fleet officers scattered throughout the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, and while I was disappointed that I spotted no Klingons or Borgs in full battle array (I hope they were there and I just somehow missed them), it was fun to see so many enthusiastic Trekkers filling the hall. The orchestra was in the spirit as well: right before tuning up there came from somewhere deep within the woodwinds on the darkened stage the iconic, 4-note prelude to the Original Series theme song, bringing an eruption of laughter from players and audience alike.

Hearing a soundtrack performed live while watching a film is a thrilling experience. The OSO grasped this and imparted a sensation of the music being more immediate--more intense, menacing, pathetic, whatever the particular emotion of the scene. The difficulty lies in not drowning out the sound effects and dialogue, and with a group the OSO's size it's not an easy task. Still, for the most part the blend they achieved was just right, and the Pacific Youth Choir did an admirable job in their role.

It also takes a special conductor. While in opera or other staged musicals the actors/singers are (ostensibly) watching the conductor, there is no such collaboration with a film, so the director must be exacting and extremely precise--missing a cue by a fraction of a second could turn a scene into a confusing dud. Conductor Erik Ochsner has a tremendous amount of experience in these types of productions, and it really showed. The ability of the orchestra to segue in and out so seamlessly was such that at times, when engrossed in the film, it was easy to forget that all the music was being performed live. The OSO played up to its usual high caliber; in Giacchino's score there was tremendous work for the low brass, and the audience ate every bit of it up.

It's always fun to see the OSO step outside the bounds of what we think of a classical symphony orchestra doing, and especially so for this Trekker last Friday night. I'm a big fan of live to projection music; a local group Filmusik has been doing this on a smaller scale here for years and I've reviewed them many times, so it was great to hear a group like OSO tackle this project.