Modesto Symphony Romantic Overtures Modesto Review (Friday Night Concert)

This is copied directly from the Modesto Bee
Please contact me if you would like this to be removed.

staff (at) surgerytoday.com

Orchestra's 'Romantic Overtures' impressive
By STEPHEN THOMAS
last updated: February 09, 2008 03:58:27 PM

Before opening this weekend's concert, Maestro David Lockington and the Modesto Symphony took a moment to honor Donelle Page, long-time harpist and personnel manager for the symphony who recently passed away. They did so with an unscheduled performance of Ralph Vaughn Williams' "Greensleeves" featuring one of Donelle's students, who performed the prominent harp part in the piece with confidence and elegance. Donelle will be sorely missed by music lovers in our region for a long time to come.
Violinist Lara St. John took the stage next to begin the printed program with a performance of Tchaikovsky's much-loved violin concerto. That Ms. St. John is a soloist of great individuality and fiery technical skill was immediately evident from the opening bars of the first movement. As the piece progressed, however, I began to feel distracted by her apparent need to impose sometimes gimmicky quirks to her interpretation which did not always serve the music well. While her tone could often be rich and beautiful, it was just as often suddenly scraping or whispering. She often traded a sustained musical line in her phrasing for a sudden dropping off of sound in the name of spontaneity, losing in the process a necessary sense of organic architecture.
I can't blame her for wanting to do something different from the crowd of violinists who play this iconic work, but by the end of the first movement I was not convinced that her efforts were producing an entirely sincere or effective musical result. I hoped perhaps the simple melody of the Canzonetta might encourage more linear continuity, and though there were many intimate moments, I still wished for more natural phrasing as a matter of course.
Ms. St. John's approach to the third movement, however, evoked a playfulness and sense of "hide and seek" that worked quite effectively. I had to smile when the concert patron sitting next to me let out a giggle at one point when the violin part was particularly coquettish. Music is ultimately about helping people access and understand human emotion, and undoubtedly, Ms. St. John accomplished that for many in the audience on many occasions throughout the performance, not least with the sheer excitement of her virtuosity.
For me, however, the really impressive aspect of the violin concerto, was the orchestra's unfailingly tasteful sound and appropriate balance. Credit is due both to the players and to Maestro Lockington, who managed nearly flawlessly the soloist's many capricious tempo changes. They provided a reliable foundation for Ms. St. John's more flamboyant and idiosyncratic interpretation.
The orchestra continued to shine in the second half with the Brahms Symphony No. 2. Here the sound was rich and warm, never forced, and evoked the sense of being embraced in a "sonic hug." The tone welled effortlessly from the celli in the famous lyrical theme of the first movement that sounds like the famous lullaby, and invited that sense of semi-sweet melancholy so often present in Brahms. There were many notable solos in the wind parts, particularly Roy Pollock's horn offerings, which warmed the soul. As Romantic symphonies go, the Brahms doesn't rely on the big brass sound that often ramps up the drama, but when called upon, the brass delivered the goods in this performance. The whole finale builds up in one long march to the final trombone chord that our symphony's players nailed dead on for a thrilling conclusion.
The "Romantic Overtones" concert will be performed today at 8 p.m. in the Rogers Theater, Gallo Center for the Arts, 1000 I St., Modesto. Tickets are $30 to $65. 338-2100.


end...

Surgical Artistry is a proud sponsor of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra