Included in the program music is Respighi’s ‘Gli Uccelli’, written in 1928 and based on 17th and 18th century music in an attempt to transcribe birdsong into musical notation, and illustrate bird actions, such as fluttering wings, or scratching feet, Mozart’s ‘Piano Concerto No. 21’, written in 1785 rapidly after his previous piece called ‘D minor concerto K. 466’, Satie’s ‘Gymnopédies No 1 and 3’, written in 1888 and named after a Greek traditional festival where men dance naked, and Mendelssohn’s ‘Symphony No. 4’, written in 1833, Mendelssohn’s piece encapsulates his experiences travelling across wartime Europe.
In playing Respighi’s ‘Gli Uccelli’, the ensemble carefully plays the first movement with a pleasant, controlled, and balanced sound. The phenomenal transition into the second movement brilliantly uses the violin to create great contrast that emphasizes the musical texture of the piece. The ensemble ends to together as they transition to the third movement, where the strings start at an energetic pace and show off their impressive staccato. Towards the middle of the piece, a trumpet blares a touch too loudly for the balance of the piece, but other than that the ensemble plays pleasantly. The rest of the piece demonstrates the intended bird noises and ends rather unspectacularly.
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In playing Mozart’s ‘Piano Concerto No. 21’, the strings create a cohesive flowing sound while the brass works to create a peppy sound. Later, the strings excellently navigate a technical section of the piece while showing off a great degree of control over their sound through dynamic contrast. After the first movement ends, the pianist takes a handkerchief off the top of the piano and wipes her head. This action seemed slightly unprofessional but is understood given the circumstances of the stage lights and nerves. In the second movement, a high reaching violin voice hits way up in the register while maintaining a controlled sound. On the other hand, the flutes attempted to reach into the higher register but ended up sounding shrill and unpleasant. The piano transition ended up sounding clunky and unsupported but the ensemble pulls forward and ties the piece together in a dramatic closing to the movement. The next movement opens with highly energetic call and response between piano and ensemble. The strings players all seem to move with the music and create a powerful stage presence.
Satie’s ‘Gymnopédies No. 1’ presented a calming and relaxed tone which acted in great contrast to the energetic nature of the previous pieces. Through the flowing piano melody, the audience felt drawn together in common experience of the soothing piece.
Mendelssohn’s ‘Symphony No. 4’ gave the ensemble the opportunity to once more show off their impressive technical musical ability through quick-moving sections. The use of dynamic contrast created a piece of music that showed great contrast to the previous piece while standing on its own as an astounding finale to a moving concert.
Overall, I felt that the orchestra demonstrated a variety of skilled techniques across a pleasing array of pieces that truly brought the audience along through a journey across time and showcased the depths that music has to offer.
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