Dates & Venues: 1 May at the Orpheum Theatre & 3 May at the Centennial Theatre, North Vancouver Reviewer: John Jane |
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Conductor:
Bramwell Tovey |
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Symphonic music inspired by astrology is not unique, but it is certainly rare. Gustav Holst, who despite his Scandinavian name and stoic disposition was born in Cheltenham, England, was well acquainted with astrology and drew heavily on this knowledge in his monumental orrchestral suite, The Planets. Holst’s famous work was the showpiece of the orchestra’s encore performance at North Vancouver’s Centennial Theatre. It was a full house that saw Maestro Bramwell Tovey lead the orchestra in the opening performance of the evening with a lush and effortless interpretation of Josef Strauss’ waltz, Music of the Spheres (Sphären-Klänge). One could just imagine those heavenly bodies (planets, of course) twirling and whirling in space. Next was a delightful three-minute musical “nugget” (Maestro Tovey’s description), Sonic Reveries from St. Anne de Bellevue native, Derek Olive. The young composer himself was in the audience to hear his work performed and received warm applause when acknowledged by Maestro Tovey. Tovey, who often enjoys engaging the audience with his characteristic pythonesque humour, offered a light-hearted introduction to Newfoundlander, Jim O’Leary’s Three Studies for Orchestra. The first movement was essentially a tribute to Bela Bartok’s unconventional tense style. The cosmos inspired, third movement was more adventurous, and was enhanced by the dimensional effect of the offstage placement of the oboe and piccolo. There was then a brief
interruption, while stage hands maneuvered the Yamaha grand piano onto
the undersized stage for Avan Yu’s performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. |
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Avan Yu is a musical prodigy who looks even younger than his sixteen years. His mature expression with the 18th variation aptly demonstrated the composer’s melodic gift. Rachmaninoff’s organization of the rhapsody makes it perfect for a piano concerto. At the end of the piece, the audience responded with a well deserved standing ovation for the teenage pianist. The Planets may be the most popular serious music ever composed by an Englishman. When Holst composed the suite at the onset of WW1, he could not have foreseen how well his music would fit the soundtrack of interplanetary travel in the 21st century. The seven movements each portray the astrological traits of the seven known planets at the time, in order of distance from the Earth. Pluto is noticeably absent from the suite; technology at the time did not allow the planet’s visibility, and it was not known to exist. Tovey hit a perfect balance with the orchestra, not allowing strings and brass to overshadow each other Mars, the Bringer of War, the first movement was ominous and menacing, with strident marching strings. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity, with its core anthem-like melody is bold and bouncy. Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age, with the slow, plodding double-bass juxtaposed with the nimble harp was deliberately depressing. Uranus, the Magician, might have been alternately titled ‘the Bringer of Chaos’. Neptune, the Mystic, the last movement had a surreal quality, rather like a pleasant dream that is set to music. In the final moments the orchestra gave way to the Elektra Women’s Choir as the stage ‘faded to black’ suggesting that though the music ends, the mission continues...... During the intermission, Naomi Woo, an Argyle Secondary student entertained concert patrons in the theatre lobby with a selection of works by Franz Joseph Haydn on a Yamaha keyboard. © 2004, John Jane |