Nielsen, Mendelssohn, Sibelius
Hartford Symphony Orchestra
The Bushnell Performing Arts Center
Hartford
By Donna Bailey-Thompson
Although Carl Nielsen's "Helios Overture" is a musical representation of the sun's daily journey, the piece could double as a musical essay. Both the opening statement (pre-dawn) and the conclusion (twilight into darkness) are virtually identical – a deep, resonance created by cellos and double basses. In between, the essay is fueled by the morning's energy that surges to high noon and then lessens until the sun's rays are obliterated by the horizon. Nielsen included this descriptive note on the score: "Stillness and darkness – the sun rises with a peaceful song of praise – wanders its golden way – sinks silently into the sea." The concluding measures – the continuous bowing of the cellos and double basses – imparted a soothing reverie, a meditation, until a few eager-beavers shattered the meticulously crafted mood by clapping, Chastened by the audience's silence, the clappers stopped, and under Conductor Edward Cumming's unflappable exterior, the bowing never stopped until it reached its designated conclusion.
When the exquisite Rachel Lee's musical education began at age four, she and the violin must have experienced love at first pluck because at age 19, what soars from this pairing is similar to the maturing love of a long-married couple who are still crazy about one another. Her interpretation of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto soothed, swept, soared, and sprinkled surprises.
The HSO's playing of Sibelius' Symphony No. 2 demonstrated, repeatedly, why this stirring work written at the beginning of the 20th century continues to hold audiences captive. Although Sibelius denied that the symphony was inspired by Finnish patriotism, for some that speculation endures. Following the death of his youngest daughter in 1900, an unidentified writer has noted that Sibelius' drinking "changed from youthful celebrating into something more dangerous." The anguish expressed within much of the symphony could be a father's outpouring of grief and/or anger with his growing dependence upon alcohol. Regardless of the composer's inspiration, Maestro Cumming and the HSO joined their forces to celebrate Sibelius' genius to such a degree that the emotionally wrenching theme within the final movement challenged my ability to suppress tears.
Some concert programs hold together better than others and – subjectively speaking – this Masterpiece Concert was superb.
The Bushnell Performing Arts Center
Hartford
By Donna Bailey-Thompson
Although Carl Nielsen's "Helios Overture" is a musical representation of the sun's daily journey, the piece could double as a musical essay. Both the opening statement (pre-dawn) and the conclusion (twilight into darkness) are virtually identical – a deep, resonance created by cellos and double basses. In between, the essay is fueled by the morning's energy that surges to high noon and then lessens until the sun's rays are obliterated by the horizon. Nielsen included this descriptive note on the score: "Stillness and darkness – the sun rises with a peaceful song of praise – wanders its golden way – sinks silently into the sea." The concluding measures – the continuous bowing of the cellos and double basses – imparted a soothing reverie, a meditation, until a few eager-beavers shattered the meticulously crafted mood by clapping, Chastened by the audience's silence, the clappers stopped, and under Conductor Edward Cumming's unflappable exterior, the bowing never stopped until it reached its designated conclusion.
When the exquisite Rachel Lee's musical education began at age four, she and the violin must have experienced love at first pluck because at age 19, what soars from this pairing is similar to the maturing love of a long-married couple who are still crazy about one another. Her interpretation of Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto soothed, swept, soared, and sprinkled surprises.
The HSO's playing of Sibelius' Symphony No. 2 demonstrated, repeatedly, why this stirring work written at the beginning of the 20th century continues to hold audiences captive. Although Sibelius denied that the symphony was inspired by Finnish patriotism, for some that speculation endures. Following the death of his youngest daughter in 1900, an unidentified writer has noted that Sibelius' drinking "changed from youthful celebrating into something more dangerous." The anguish expressed within much of the symphony could be a father's outpouring of grief and/or anger with his growing dependence upon alcohol. Regardless of the composer's inspiration, Maestro Cumming and the HSO joined their forces to celebrate Sibelius' genius to such a degree that the emotionally wrenching theme within the final movement challenged my ability to suppress tears.
Some concert programs hold together better than others and – subjectively speaking – this Masterpiece Concert was superb.
Labels: bushnell, greater hartford, hso, mendelssohn, music, nielsen, sibelius
