Review: Oregon Symphony goes into the beyond with Strauss and has fun with Mendelssohn

It’s quite an achievement for someone in a speaking role to steal the spotlight at an orchestra concert, but Lauren Modica-Soloway, the narrator in Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” did just that at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (November 20). Even though the Oregon Symphony was led with style and panache by principal guest conductor Jun Märkl augmented by the singing of soprano Judy Yannini, mezzo-soprano Jasmine Johnson, and the Portland State University Thorn Choir, it was Modica-Soloway who had listeners on the edge of their seats with high satisfying narration that wonderfully illuminated Shakespeare’s marvelous play.

First of all, the diction, pacing, and the emotional content of each word that Modica-Soloway’s delivered was spot-on. She gave each character of the story a distinct voice, and she had fun with the humorous text, such as when she said “let me rest” and followed it with an expansive yawn and later the mock death scene when Bottom (as Pyramus) plunges a sword into himself and proclaimed “thus I die” then wheezed ever so long (twice). Modica-Soloway also excelled with the many delicious, poetic lines like “creep into acorn cups.” I have a recording of the Mendelssohn with Dame Judi Dench as the narrator, but I have to admit that Modica-Soloway’s lively interpretation was better.

Playing with immaculate precision, the orchestra created a magical atmosphere with the whirl of fairies punctuated by the braying of the donkey with whom Titania falls in love – all during the Overture. And the famous Wedding March was absolutely glorious. All of the various movements of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” worked together seamlessly, and it was fun to watch the interaction between Märkl and Modica-Soloway. It’s too bad that the lyrics were not available as supertext or printed as an insert to the program. That might have added more context for concertgoers.

In the first half of the concert, the orchestra gave a superb performance of Richard Strass’s tone poem “Tod und Verklärung” (“Death and Transflguration”). It was a beautiful journey – from the gloomy outset (the artist on his deathbed), past several thrilling eruptions (racked by pain, fever, etc.), and into the balm of a soothing lyrical lines, and then the piling of sonic layers that built to the Elysium of the finale. Märkl impressively conducted the piece from memory, taking great care to shape the entire enterprise, and when the sonic textures seemed to melt into each other at the very end – well that was bliss. Kudos to all of the musicians for eliciting a transcendental experience.