The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Andrew Constantine, presented music by Patrick O’Malley, Clara Schumann, Jean Sibelius, Ottorino Respighi, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov at its Masterworks Series concert at Purdue Fort Wayne last Saturday. Timothy Tan was concertmaster for this performance.
Attendance was somewhat lower than normal due to freezing rain in Fort Wayne during the late afternoon and early evening, followed by light snow. It should be noted that Purdue Fort Wayne’s crews did a very good job clearing the campus roads and walkways.
American composer and conductor Patrick O’Malley (born 1989) is known for his symphonic, chamber, and film music. The Philharmonic performed his 2020 composition “Obliviana” as the opening work on this concert. O’Malley wrote, “Obliviana is an orchestral meditation on the seemingly endless sprawl of human mechanism and technology, versus the timeless stasis of our natural minds and the natural world.” While O’Malley acknowledges how technology has “connected” us in many ways, he finds that it also has disadvantages. O’Malley was present for the fascinating performance.
The work is in two parts, contrasting “human mechanism” and “human nature.” The powerful score begins with strings, then brass and percussion with a bomb-like use of the bass drum. It is clearly a very imposing and impressive work. The strings create a shimmering effect and there is strong use of the brass, with some contrasting color from the winds. O’Malley has strident chords while maintaining a slow, steady tempo. He creates some amazing sounds as he reflects on our complicated times. There are eventually lyrical strings, while the brass play more strident tones. He even uses tone clusters, where almost every note in the scale is played at once. This is essentially the first part, which represents a strong conflict, and it was played with great power and drama.
The second part is serene and mysterious, dominated by the strings. A trumpet solo seems to ask a musical question. Then, the music becomes more animated, colorful, and even hopeful. O’Malley uses some syncopation and there are a variety of percussion instruments employed. The intensity builds up. There is a sudden very quiet section with use of drumsticks. We hear a bit of the full orchestra as the music ends. This is clearly challenging music in two ways: the challenges to the musicians in playing non-traditional music and the challenges to the listener to appreciate and hopefully comprehend what is being expressed.
The performance of “Obliviana” received a warm reception. O’Malley was invited by Constantine to come onstage to acknowledge the enthusiastic applause. By the way, Constantine has recently recorded some of O’Malley’s orchestral works with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra in the United Kingdom for Orchid Records, so his colorful and imaginative music (including this work) can be better appreciated.
It’s hard to imagine that German pianist and composer Clara Schumann (1819-1896) was one of the first women who enjoyed a successful musical career in the nineteenth century. She was still a single woman, known as Clara Wieck, and only 15 years old, when she completed her piano concerto in September 1835. She already knew fellow composer and pianist Robert Schumann (1810-1856) and she ultimately married him in 1840, over the objections of her father, Friedrich Wieck. Robert Schumann had studied with Wieck and fallen in love with Clara. After Clara and Robert were married, Clara continued to perform as a virtuoso pianist. In the 1850s, they came to know the young composer and pianist Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) and they mentored him. The Schumann’s had eight children. After Robert Schumann died in 1856, Clara increased her performances and, for the rest of her life, she remained friends with Brahms, who never married.
It is interesting to note that Clara’s three-movement piano concerto is in A minor, the same key that Robert Schumann and Edvard Grieg used in their piano concertos.
Lucille Chung, who was born in Montreal, Canada, was the soloist in Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Opus 7. She made her professional debut at the age of 10 with Charles Dutoit conducting the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Chung eventually performed with over 70 leading orchestra. She married another pianist, Alessio Bax, and they have a daughter, Mia. Their home base is New York City. Chung wore a long, patterned pink satin or silk dress for this performance.
The concerto begins with a short stately orchestral introduction. Clara Schumann’s orchestration is lusher than that by Frederic Chopin, who wrote two piano concertos during the early nineteenth century. The pianist enters with strong chords, followed by more lyrical playing. It is a virtuoso showpiece that becomes stately. Chung played with great skill, dexterity, and grace. It was a strong and consistent performance with excellent support from the Philharmonic musicians. There were some musical fireworks. This is definitely in the Romantic tradition.
A slower cadenza was very sweet and still intense, played with great feeling, leading to the slower second movement. Chung was joined by cellist Deborah Nitka Hicks. The duet was lyrical and sweet. It is unique to have only two instruments playing for an entire movement in a concerto. Undoubtedly, Clara Schumann wanted to provide a contrast to the outer movements.
The third movement has more intensity, aided by trumpet calls and then the full orchestra. It sounded more like a Chopin concerto at this point, at least in terms of the solo parts. The intensity and drama increased with the piano sounding more heroic and patriotic. Chung showed strength and virtuosity. The orchestra performed with great dignity and nobility. There was a musical dialogue between the strings and winds. The intensity again increased. Here Chung showed more playfulness and then the music became more introspective. The performance concluded with displays of real skill by Chung, who played with so much feeling.
Chung received a great standing ovation and, after taking several bows, she announced she would play a solo piano piece by Clara’s husband, Robert Schumann. This offered an interesting contrast between the two composers.
Most Americans know the Finnish composer and conductor Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) from his symphonic poem “Finlandia,” which was composed in 1899 as a patriotic expression when Finland was still part of the Russian Empire. Sibelius later composed seven symphonies, additional symphonic poems, a virtuoso violin concerto, and other works. Curiously, Sibelius essentially quit composing in 1929, likely so he wouldn’t be considered “old-fashioned” or pressured to write more modern works. “Finlandia” remains one of his most popular and most familiar works. This performance included side-by-side playing by members of the Youth Symphony Orchestra, so there was a much fuller sound for this dramatic piece.
“Finlandia” has a main melody that was used in the hymn “Be Still My Soul” and a choral work, “On Great Lone Hills.” It has a turbulent beginning, with strong use of the brass. There is a snarling effect in the brass that is followed by sweeter sounds in the winds and then the strings. Sibelius provides a strong line in the cellos and he gives solos to wind players, which was a great opportunity for some of the Philharmonic’s principal instrumentalists. The music takes on a very solemn character before the brass introduce a more animated and intense section. Sibelius then adds the cymbals and triangle as he leads to the hymn-like main melody. The Philharmonic musicians played here with great feeling and dignity. One can clearly sense the composer’s strong patriotic statement. The melody is in the flutes and then is picked up the violins, followed by the violas and cellos. This leads to a spectacular and exciting finale, with considerable use of percussion.
The Italian composer Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) is probably best known for the three symphonic poems that make up his “Roman Cycle.” The first of these is his “Fountains of Rome,” which was completed in 1916 and depicts four fountains, each at a different time of day. The sections are titled “The Fountain of Valle Giulia at Dawn,” “The Triton Fountain at Morn,” “The Fountain of Trevi at Midday,” and “The Villa Medici Fountain at Sunset.”
The music has a serene and mysterious opening, using the violins, winds, and triangle. The violas and cellos come in later; the basses remain silent for some time. This is a slow and intriguing passage with hints of Gregorian chant, which Respighi so loved. There is a very fine flute solo, then a dramatic section introduced by the French horns. This is a faster and more cheerful section with considerable percussion and two harps. Respighi gradually builds up the intensity with more use of the brass. Constantine brought out the cascading effect, depicting a great fountain. There is a tremendous crescendo in the tradition of another Italian master, Gioacchino Rossini (1791-1868).
The music diminishes and becomes lyrical and even poignant. Rossini uses chimes to depict Rome’s numerous churches with their bells that fill the city with reminders of the strong spiritual traditions. Concertmaster Timothy Tan had a very sweet solo that he played with great feeling, followed by a beautiful flute solo. Respighi depicts some birdsongs in the closing moments as the musical day ends. It is quiet, reflective, and delightful with its subdued ending, which is a real contrast from the spectacular finales of both “Pines of Rome” and “Roman Festivals.
The Russian composer, conductor, and teacher Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) was a master orchestrator. Indeed, the composer wrote one of the definitive textbooks on the art of orchestration. He composed three symphonic works, numerous operas, a piano concerto, and a number of symphonic poems. His “Capriccio Espagnol,” which was published as his Opus 34, was written in 1887. It is in five sections and was inspired by the composer’s visits to Spain, one of the preferred destinations for Russians who wished to escape Russian winters. The music may have been prompted by “Capriccio Italien,” an 1880 work by Peter Tchaikovsky (1840-1893), who chose Italy as his winter alternative to Russia.
Rimsky’s colorful work includes “Alborada,” “Variazoni,” “Alborada,” “Scena e canto bigano” (“Scene and Gypsy Song”), and “Fandango asturiano.” The finale includes a rousing statement of the “Alborada.”
This symphonic poem begins with a very exuberant and joyous mood that is a true showpiece clearly inspired by Spanish dances. Tan had a very challenging violin solo that was again played with great skill. The opening leads to a slower and more dignified section with strong contributions from the strings and winds. Rimsky includes an excellent English horn solo during a passage that has both Russian and Spanish emotions; after all, this is a Russian composer’s impressions of Spain.
Rimsky recalls the opening theme with more intensity and yet another virtuoso solo by the concertmaster, who continued to showcase his abilities. A snare drum solo introduces the next section with strong trumpet playing. Then, there is a true cadenza by the concertmaster, followed by great use of percussion to introduce a true dance. A harp cadenza was dazzling. The violins strum their instruments, much like guitars, and the cellos play pizzicato.
The music becomes more agitated and animated. Rimsky then uses castanets as the intensity grows. Constantine maintained a consistent build up by the orchestra leading to the dazzling ending. It was a true audience pleaser.
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic’s next Masterworks Series concert is scheduled for Saturday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m. at Purdue Fort Wayne. Constantine will lead the orchestra in Anna Clyne’s “The Midnight Hour,” Maurice Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major (with Orli Shaham as soloist), and Aaron Copland’s “Third Symphony.”