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Alix Goolden Performance Hall
March 9, 2013
After the first French performance of Saint-Saën's Symphony No.3 - the world premiere was in London a year earlier - Charles Gounod, who was in the audience, was moved to declare of Saint-Saëns: "there goes the French Beethoven".
We've all calmed down a good deal since then and it is unlikely that any of today's prevalent saner heads would so describe Saint-Saëns.
Of course, it is easy to understand why Gounod was led into this rash pronouncement: the closing pages of the "Organ" Symphony are, if we are to be brutally frank (oh, yes, let's), as corny as Kansas in August (to coin a phrase). Having said which, anybody whose pulse does not race a little faster when listening to this music, particularly "in the flesh", need not bother calling the emergency services - an undertaker would be more appropriate.
It was with a resplendent performance of the "Organ" Symphony that the Civic Orchestra, under the direction of Nicholas Fairbank, closed Saturday afternoon's concert.
While those closing pages, underpinned by the thunder of the Conservatory's Casavant organ in the safe and sure hands of Steven Benson, were noisy, tumultuous and undoubtedly exciting, the preceding half hour or so, which contains some of the composer's finest music, should not be forgotten.
The work's opening, all transparent string chords, was well-nigh immaculate and, although the succeeding accelerando was a little ragged, the orchestra's sound for the main theme was full and rich - and special mention must be made of the chattering winds, full of life and character.
The entry of the organ in the second movement brought a sudden depth to the sound which, combined with the lushness of the ensemble sound, was quite lovely.
The third movement was spirited and bouncy and the finale, which opens with a bang, as exciting as one could wish. Even before those final bars.
Galen Rohon O'halloran is the latest in a line of prodigious local string players - although we do seem to specialise more in violinists, which makes an outstanding cellist like him doubly welcome.
O'halloran's playing in Max Bruch's Kol Nidrei was eloquent, sombre and sonorous; the accompaniment was fully worthy, with Fairbank paying close attention to his soloist's rubato.
A fine performance all round and a name to watch.
The concert opened with Fairbank's own Pacific Overture an enjoyable work which definitely did not outstay its welcome.
The spirited opening may have evidenced some slightly dubious ensemble, but matters soon improved, with all sections playing well; the sonorous brass were most impressive and I loved Fairbank's use of the low winds - bass clarinet and contrabassoon - and the tricky syncopated rhythms, which were smoothly handled.
Great work though it is (indeed, arguably the finest music of the afternoon) I cannot help but wonder whether Beethoven's Symphony No.8 really fitted into this programme.
It was well played and the generally steady tempos adopted by Fairbank certainly worked well; but the symphony has a history of being overshadowed (at its premiere by a repeat performance of the Seventh, leading to Beethoven's exasperated comment that the public preferred the Seventh because the Eight was "so much better") and, for me, it is a work which must be programmed very, very carefully.
Despite this small cavil, it was a fine, adventurous afternoon's musicmaking.
Long may the Civic flourish!
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