The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Andrew Constantine, continued its series of special Masterworks concerts on Feb. 7, at Purdue-Fort Wayne. It was the second of the orchestra’s all-American programs celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States of America.
The concert began with “Ellis Island: The Dream of America,” a 2002 composition by Peter Boyle that features selections from the oral histories of those who entered America between 1892 and 1954 at Ellis Island, near Liberty Island, in New York City.
In the Philharmonic’s performance, actors Kevin Torwelle and Bella Hadley presented seven narratives of some who came to the U.S. in search of greater freedom and liberty. They also recited Emma Lazarus’ 1883 poem “The New Colossus.”
The work included a prologue and six musical interludes, during which photographs were projected above the orchestra of some of the immigrants, Ellis Island itself, Liberty Island and its Statue of Liberty, and New York City.
The prologue began mysteriously with strings, winds, and some percussion. They were eventually joined by the brass. The music became more upbeat and jubilantly. One was touched both by the impressive music and the memorable photographs, all of which was presented very effectively.
The narratives were very moving and touching, especially since the two actors used different accents, props, and some limited costumes as they spoke with great feeling and intensity. Some of the stories were very dramatic and even tragic. Overall, the presentation was very effective as the music reflected the words. The presentation captured the challenges and hardships so many faced in coming to America, particularly since most of them came by ships and they often had just the clothes on their backs.
More than 12 million persons passed through Ellis Island and this work told just a few of the many great stories each of them experienced.
Boyle is a modern American composer who has written impressive, usually melodic, and richly scored works over the years. He was definitely able to combine the narratives, photographs, and music in telling an important part of American history.
The concert concluded with Leonard Bernstein’s 1949 masterpiece for piano and orchestra, Symphony No. 2, which was inspired by Wystan Hugh Auden’s 1948 epic poem, “The Age of Anxiety.”
The British-American poet shared the view of many after of the uncertainty of civilization as the Second World War ended. The main theme is mankind’s quest to find substance and identity in an increasingly industrialized world. The setting of the poem, which really appealed to Bernstein, was in a New York City bar, where four individuals discussed their concerns.
Bernstein wrote his symphony in two parts, each of which has multiple subsections. It was as much a piano concerto as a symphony. Bernstein himself was the piano soloist in the symphony’s premiere by Serge Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra on April 8, 1949.
In 1965, Bernstein revised the score and that is the version we hear today. The Philharmonic’s performance of the work featured Australian pianist David Fung.
The music began with soft and somber winds that conveyed an uncertain and searching mood. The orchestra in this work was larger than that in Boyles work. The cellos joined the winds and then the piano entered with a solo that was very touching, played with great feeling by Fung.
Bernstein used two harps effectively in his score. The music became more animated as the full orchestra developed the theme. There was a shift to more upbeat and jazzy music that still had considerable drama. Fung played with great skill and feeling. The music became more exciting and took on a “familiar” Bernstein style, much as he later used in his score for the musical “West Side Story” in 1957.
The music shifted to a very intense mood with tragic and troubling elements. There was a sustained intensity that featured brilliant piano solos and powerful orchestral contributions. One point the music seemed to reflect the tragedies of the recent war and the great uncertainty of the time.
Then, everything shifted greatly to some very jazzy and dazzling tunes that were intense and even joyous. Bernstein reduced the orchestra’s participation to a small jazz ensemble with considerable percussion. The composer used a second, distant piano before going to the final minutes of the score.
Here the music was reflective and moody for a time. The atmosphere shifted to a more hopeful attitude. The piece became more positive. There was more brilliant piano playing. The strings nobly led the way to a hymn-like theme. Bernstein conveyed a growing hope in the future as the music built to an upbeat ending.
Fung received a thunderous standing ovation and then played a solo fantasia on “America the Beautiful” as an encore.