Springfield Symphony, Springfield, MA
April 14, 2012
by Michael J. Moran
For the
fifth concert in its 2011-2012 "Classical" series, Music Director
Kevin Rhodes indulged his love for "puns, word games, and language
silliness" noted in the program book by leading the Springfield Symphony
Orchestra in a concert of music by Schuman and Schumann, with a piece of Mozart
in between.
In
pre-concert remarks, Rhodes introduced William Schuman’s 18-minute
"Symphony for Strings (Symphony No. 5)" as an "homage to the
baroque," with each of its three short movements evoking a dance form of
that era. From the vigor of the opening fugue through the heartfelt slow
movement and the lively finale, Rhodes’ love for this composer’s music produced
as passionate an account as their presentation earlier this season of Schuman’s
masterful third symphony.
Next
came Mozart’s "Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major," soloist Spencer
Myer’s own choice for his SSO debut. The 32-year-old Juilliard graduate from
Ohio was the 2008 Gold Medalist at the New Orleans International Piano
Competition and has many orchestral, recital, and chamber music performances to
his credit on five continents.
The
concerto is one of Mozart’s last (1786) and largest (32 minutes). The first
movement opened with a festive horn fanfare, but the piano’s entrance several
minutes later was much quieter and more subtle. Myer and the orchestra
kept the shifting moods and tempos of all three movements in perfect balance
between classical restraint and aristocratic grandeur. Their efforts were
rewarded with a standing ovation.
Intermission
was followed by a blazing rendition of Robert Schumann’s "Symphony No. 2
in C Major," written in 1845 as the composer was recovering from a period
of ill health. The slow opening of the first movement featured a more solemn
fanfare than Mozart’s, but the contrasting Allegro that followed brought with
it an almost manic energy which only let up for a deeply moving version of the
Adagio third movement.
The
freshness and joy of the performance on a mild April evening made this symphony
sound more like Schumann’s "Spring" symphony than even his first
symphony does, which actually bears that nickname.