< Back to Archives
The Virginian-Pilot
April 24, 2006
Orchestra unleashes a triumphant performance
BY LEE TEPLY CORRESPONDENT
With the cool, drippy remnants of the afternoon’s storm hanging in the air, Saturday night was a good one to stay indoors – especially if you escaped the weather by going to Chrysler Hall.
There, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra played with fiery passion that was wellmanaged by music director JoAnn Falletta. Her control of the musicians’ energies throughout the evening kept a sense of balance while allowing the full range of dynamics, orchestral colors and emotions.
When the program opened with the third-act prelude from Wagner’s “Lohengrin,” all clouds were instantly dispersed to reveal the burning heat of a noontime sun. The orchestra’s crisp, clean rhythmic patterns seemed to fuel the fire.
This music, which Wagner used to build anticipation for an entire act, did the same for this concert.
Perhaps because the music set such a theatrical stage, when violinist Sarah Chang joined the orchestra for Jean Sibelius’ “Violin Concerto,” she looked and sounded like an operatic diva. She moved around a lot to interact with conductor, orchestra and audience – very much like an actor.
She really communicated through her instrument, though, with a big sound from top to bottom. That sound had a vocal quality, which she used to make the long, wandering first movement like one of opera’s great dramatic scenes.
She started softly, almost as if crying, before building to let loose some extreme emotions. Despite their power, she did not lose control of her fine technique or her beautiful tone.
There was sometimes a difference in approach between her and the orchestra, which more often held back its sound to give greater contrast to moments of real climax. Her tendency to keep pushing at softer dynamics produced an unnaturally wide vibrato. This same sound, at full force over the entire orchestra, was quite thrilling.
That was followed by the much longer and much more varied “Symphony No. 1” of Gustav Mahler, whose music has long held a special place in Falletta’s repertoire. The orchestra has grown to share her understanding and played with a deep sense of purpose while meeting the score’s every challenge.
The piece is filled with momentary solos by just about every instrument, and all were played expertly. Two sections, the entire group of strings and the eight horns, stood out for their spacious sound.
Falletta now goes through this piece with a fluid sense of tempo, with every adjustment making perfect sense. The tender, quiet moments were the most precious, but the spine-tingling climax of the final movement was an unforgettable triumph that pulled the audience to its feet.
• Reach Lee Teply at lteply@odu.edu
# # #
The Virginia Symphony Orchestra with a complement of 79 professional musicians under the direction of Grammy-nominated Music Director JoAnn Falletta performs 140 concerts annually, reaching 200,000 concert goers every season in venues throughout the region. Our education and outreach programs reach 53,000 students and adult learners every year. The Virginia Symphony Orchestra is the cultural cornerstone of the performing arts in Hampton Roads.
|
 |
