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For the last concert of the 75th season of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, Maestro Alfred Savia led the EPO through an evening that ranged from the mundane to the spectacular and gave the season a spectacular finale.
So, let us begin with the mundane, Franz Schubert's "Overture to Rosamunde," a concert staple that would never get a performance if it were by Johann Schmutz instead of Schubert. It's tuneful, lighthearted, and has all of Schubert's typical lyricism, but this overture is not the reason Schubert's name is revered by musicians. It's pleasant enough, but after awhile, you can begin to think, "Why couldn't we have had ... oh, Meistersinger, or La Cenerentola, or Roman Carnival to start things off."
The answer is one that makes perfect sense - this was the first piece ever performed in public by the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra at the initial concert in 1934. For that reason, if for no other, it was the right choice for the evening opener and it was given a very nice reading, as clear and bright as you might want.
After the Schubert, the stage filled up with the large orchestra required for Ottorino Respighi's "Fountains of Rome," one of those famous pieces that is all orchestra and not much music. No one has ever tried to make the case that Respighi's famous tone poems about Rome, including "The Pines of Rome" and "Feste Romane," are among the profound works of music of our age, but on the other hand, no one has ever denied they are fun to listen to.
This piece makes great demands on the orchestra, from the opening shimmer, through the bombast of the Trevi Fountain section, until the hushed nocturnal closing. On Saturday, the EPO was in fine voice and, although I seemed to detect some small intonation problems in the stratosphere at one time, this was entirely enjoyable.
Earlier, when I arrived at The Victory, there was a line from the box office all the way to the corner of Sixth and Sycamore streets. I thought I had come on the wrong night and that Carrot Top was performing or that John Prine was back in town. But it was just the effect of doing the Ninth Symphony of Beethoven and involving the choruses of the University of Evansville, the University of Southern Indiana, and of the Owensboro Symphony - all their friends came.
I'm certain that if I had taken a survey, there were a lot of folks who came just for the Ninth.
Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is the Ayers Rock of symphonies. It stands alone, looming above the landscape in absolute grandeur and yet, seems unapproachable and forbidding. What are we to make of a symphony in which the most sublime choral writing is interrupted by a little Turkish march? In which there are four vocal soloists, two of whom never sing alone? Knowing this symphony has proven to be the life work of many conductors, and many reputations have had severe reversals from doing it poorly.
As I have noted before, Savia has a clear affinity for the Beethoven symphonies, and his interpretations are thoughtful and always interesting to hear. I have expressed my disagreement with his tempos on occasion, but I am always ready to listen when he does the Beethoven cycle.
The Ninth was, to put it bluntly, a triumph. The first movement, one of Beethoven's most serious and engrossing symphonic movements, was taut and smoldering, continually exciting, as was the following scherzo.
Of course, the fourth movement is the point of the piece. The "Ode to Joy" is one of those tunes that, like Pomp and Circumstance No. 1 and the William Tell Overture, have been beaten to death by overuse in other venues than the concert hall, like Secretariat pulling a plow.
Noted conductors and critics, in analyzing the fourth movement, often describe it as a "symphony within the symphony" for its wide range of emotional and musical content, and the movement is known to all musicians as a tall order for the chorus and soloists.
It must be a matter of some frustration to be the soprano or alto soloist in this symphony. The parts are difficult (at the rehearsals for the first performance, the soloists talked about "suffering for art"), and yet, the ladies never get to sing alone. The real solos are reserved to the bass and tenor. Still, as the quartet sang, it was clear that soloists Stella Zambilis (once described as one of the best sopranos in the world) and Jennifer Lane are each possessed of gorgeous voices. It would be nice to have them back.
When bass Todd Thomas opened his mouth, the hair stood up on my neck. I am always astonished when such wonderful sounds are made by a human. He has a huge voice, with warmth and depth. Tenor Scott Pippin was equally brilliant in the brief section allotted to him.
What about the chorus, those dedicated unpaid amateurs and students? This evening was a fitting climax to a year in which the EPO Chorus once again found its voice, when the men once again could balance the ladies and not only sing in tune, but with a tone that had been lacking in the last couple of years.
The choral forces on the stage, the combined choruses of the EPO, the University of Evansville, the University of Southern Indiana and the Owensboro Symphony gave a solid performance that was truly memorable, with a full, rich symphonic power which was every bit the equal of the orchestra.
Bravo.
On the Air
A digital recording of the concert will air at 7 p.m. May 9 on WNIN 88.3FM.
The Evansville Philharmonic soon will make a digital recording of its performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 available for free download off its Web site at http://www.evansvillephilharmonic.org/.
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/apr/25/ninth-turns-symphony-finale-into-triumph/
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