Ovation Series Finale: Orchestra London

A Truly Grand Finale: Beloved Brahms

Orchestra London: Ovation Series

Saturday May 15, 2010

by Brian Hay

This concert opened with a tightly played rendition of the Overture from Mozart's 'Marriage of Figaro'. The violin players captured the frenetic buzzing that underscores much of the piece beautifully. The wind players brought the full beauty that Mozart wrote into those segments to the surface. The reading Conductor Timothy Vernon gave encapsulated the sense of conniving and plots within plots that go on in the full opera. It caught the playfulness of the composer too. That's always important. Mozart never forgot to have fun with these things. The second instrumental piece featured in the half was Rossini's Overture to 'La Cenerentola'. This piece has a wonderful dynamic. The quiet sections demand great subtlety from the performers. The finale demands they lean into it. The musicians did both with a flourish.

The singers who appeared on this program were amazing. Patricia Green delivered a stunning rendition of 'Parto Parto' from Mozart's 'La Clemenza di Tito'. Her portrayal of 'Sesto's' anguish over being charged with the task of killing his closest friend was heart-rending. Graham Lord's playing of the clarinet obligato that weaves in and around the vocal line was a thing of beauty. Her reading of Rossini's 'Una voce poco fa' from the 'Barber of Seville' was charmingly coquettish. The sung passages in Gounod's 'Que fais-tu' were ornamented by luscious pizzicato playing from the violins. The power that she displayed at the end of that piece was incredible. Her voice is silken regardless of the volume or note she's hitting. And, even in a concert setting, she puts herself squarely inside the character she's portraying.

Gregory Dahl laid his world of fun, mischief and musical joy bare for everyone in the room, on stage and off, to share. His rendition of Figaro's Largo from 'The Barber of Seville' had everyone enraptured. He fixed his attention on Associate Concertmaster Mary-Elizabeth Brown (which shows good taste incidentally) and had his character flirt with her. She looked a bit embarrassed but shared the fun. His reading of the 'Toreador Song' from Bizet's 'Carmen' explained its ongoing popularity completely. The performance of 'Cortigiani, vil razz dannata' from Verdi's 'Rigoletto' was a triumph for everyone on the stage. The instrumental playing was fabulous. The subtle portions were executed with great delicacy. The crescendos resounded with thunder. Dahl's voice soared above it all. He made (the character of) 'Rigoletto's' anger, anguish and despair into an entity that came alive. It was a great finale to a marvellous first half.

Neither singer used any sheet music. They had their material fully prepared before the show. Both artists also have excellent websites.

The performance of Brahms' First Symphony was brilliant. The string work in the sustained opening (Un poco sostenuto) introduced the weight that permeates the entire symphony well. The balance between the wind and string playing in the brisk movement (allegro) that followed was exemplary. There was some brilliant oboe playing by Ian Franklin in the second movement. Mary-Elizabeth Brown delivered some ravishing lead playing near the end of that same movement. The players delivered the wind passages in the third movement brilliantly. The Orchestra's work throughout the stormy final segment was fabulous. Vernon's tempos were brisk but never rushed. Each section of the ensemble was pulled tightly against the others. The balance between the dynamics of their individual sounds was excellent.

This was Timothy Vernon's last show before stepping down as Orchestra London's Music Director. It was a good one for him. His narratives between musical numbers were often hilarious. The members of the orchestra played the music as if it was a send-off for Musical Royalty, which it probably was.

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