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Alix Goolden Performance Hall
October 28, 2007
"Truly there would be reason to go mad were it not for music."
Although no doubt many of us have felt that way on occasion, it was actually Tchaikovsky who said it. And it was Tchaikovsky's Symphony No.2 which closed the Civic Orchestra's fine opening concert of their 2007-8 season.
The symphony - like its immediate predecessor and successor - has suffered in the public eye because of the immense popularity of his last three numbered symphonies, yet it was a huge success at its premiere. Even the nickname, the "Little Russian" seems not to have done the trick. Perhaps a renaming (or "rebranding") would help: the name, after all, derives from the fact that Tchaikovsky used a number of Ukrainian folk melodies in the symphony and, in Russia in the late 19th century, Ukraine was known as "Little Russia".
Perhaps Tchaikovsky's "Ukrainian" Symphony would attract more attention?
George Corwin directed a fine performance of the symphony, from the crisp opening chord to the dramatic close. The orchestra's playing throughout was an audible barometer of how much improved they are in the last few years. String tone was generally commendably full, ensemble and intonation good if not perfect. The wind choir, both collectively and individually - Tchaikovsky always writes delectably for winds - were very fine. The brass were powerful when necessary yet capable of refinement also. Special mentions must go to Sandy Sandford (horn) and John Larsen (bassoon) whose solos early in the work augured well for the whole performance.
As one would by now expect, Corwin stuck to the letter of the score while still exciting and ravishing by turns; the underlying tension of the first movement's coda, for example, was superbly controlled.
The least satisfactory music, to my ears, is the finale and in the hands of a lesser composer - or, indeed, a lesser conductor - the music, with its numerous false endings, could easily teeter off the precipice into the banal.
There was, of course, no such danger on Sunday.
The idea of a "community" orchestra essaying the world premiere of a substantial work of no little emotional depth might seem less than fair to the composer.
In the event, I imagine that Brent Straughan was well pleased with the first performance of his Precari (Entreaty) for soprano and orchestra.
The work can be described fairly briefly: the libretto begins innocuously enough with a mother encouraging her sons to dance to the radio to get warm. The first few stanzas consist of her weaving imaginary visions to them as they settle down to sleep.
But then the mood grows gradually more sinister as we realise that the mother is is a Muslim living in Sarajevo: "Why do our neighbours betray us? What crimes do they lay at the feet of children?"
Straughan is an accomplished composer and handles his forces well (I gather that there was considerable feedback and revision during rehearsal - I should also point out that Straughan plays in the second violins of the Civic). The music ranges from an almost Ivesian riot of rhythm and colour in the opening section when the children are dancing to the radio, to a bleak lyricism entirely in keeping with the later text.
I cannot say enough good things about soloist Nancy Washeim, who I had not heard before. She has a lovely voice, uses it intelligently and has dazzling control: the score contains a couple of (what I was reliably informed are) top D's, which she hit with quite spectacular accuracy.
Moreover, her singing conveyed the emotion of the text, even when the words were not entirely audible or, indeed, in places completely inaudible, as the orchestra's sound buried the voice.
And yet, oddly, this did not feel inappropriate; the subject matter, after all, concerns one who is overwhelmed by events beyond her control. Losing the voice under a welter of sound seemed to reflect this perfectly.
The orchestra had clearly worked very hard on the music, which was not easy. There are numerous tempo changes, which were managed very well and I never found myself wondering what the composer had actually written, as opposed to what we were hearing.
I confess I did find the work a trifle long and wonder whether a little judicious trimming would not come amiss. But talking to various members of the audience in the interval - one or two of whom told me they were almost moved to tears - the consensus opinion was that this was a fine work, extremely well performed.
An opinion with which I happily concur.
The two shorter works on the programme were no less rewarding.
Elgar's overture Froissart is a relatively early work and seems to be rarely performed, which is surprising, as it has its composer's fingerprints stamped indelibly on every bar.
The Civic celebrated the composer's 150th anniversary year with what was almost certainly Froissart's first performance in Victoria. And an excellent performance it was too, full of true Elgarian swagger.
Which leaves Grieg's Lyric Suite with the critical short straw, although the four short movements featured some very good playing, as witness the whiplash final chord.
Here, as elsewhere in the programme, Corwin's placing of the second violins on the opposite side of the stage from the firsts - as still practised on mainland Europe - reaped considerable benefits.
A notable event in the Civic's history.
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