LSO Review of March 11, 2006 Concert

The Longmont Symphony Orchestra and director Robert Olson returned to Vance Brand Auditorium on Saturday evening after the long winter break between regular subscription concerts. During that time, memories of the orchestra's terrific November concert may have faded somewhat among LSO patrons. While that concert showed that the orchestra is often at its best in the more "traditional" repertoire, this month's offering--in collaboration with the Longmont Chorale--was a reminder of the experimental, often daring direction Olson has sometimes taken with his programs.

This was one of the conductor's most risky endeavors to date. The "Sea Symphony," a 1910 score by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, is one of the most important choral/orchestral works of the twentieth century, but its length and difficulty render performances rather rare. Longmont Chorale director Timothy Tharaldson was apparently able to convince Olson that his singers could pull it off. Saturday's accomplishment was a resounding validation, providing a rush of salty sea air in the midst of a snowy evening in the Rockies.

The performance of the hour-long symphonic cantata was, quite simply, a breathtaking experience. Walt Whitman's poetry does not particularly lend itself well to musical setting, but Vaughan Williams, who was passionate about the American bard, responded to Whitman's lengthy verses with equally expansive music.

The Chorale responded admirably, with mostly understandable diction and a surprisingly solid grasp on the rhythmic and harmonic intricacies of the music. They also rarely had difficulty being heard over the orchestra. The quick declamation of the text in the third movement was especially good.

The orchestra, however, was even more impressive. Olson, known widely for his excellent interpretations of Gustav Mahler's huge symphonies, clearly drew on this experience in conducting the work. The piece, like Mahler's Eighth (also a choral work), is called a "symphony" for a reason, and the orchestra was never subordinate to the chorus. Particularly magical was the quiet, almost unbearably sustained postlude to the gigantic last movement.

The two vocal soloists, soprano Maureen Sorensson and Baritone Steven Taylor, both of whom are familiar to LSO audiences, were fantastic. Taylor's large role in the slow second movement was memorable, and Sorensson was largely responsible for the effectiveness of the ethereal ending to the first movement.

Olson's last choral concert with the LSO in 2004 also featured a challenging large-scale work, Rachmaninoff's "The Bells," but he balanced this with a familiar tone poem by Richard Strauss. While his choice of a companion work in this concert fit the overall "oceanic" theme of the evening, it was somewhat problematic.

"And God Created Great Whales," a short 1970 piece by Alan Hovhaness, has a level of popularity, but it was too unusual to serve as an effective curtain raiser to the Vaughan Williams. The orchestra, particularly the percussion section, seemed to enjoy it, but the composition, which contains off-stage recorded tape of whale song and many passages of indeterminate "chance" music, seemed to mystify the audience. The work was greeted with very tentative applause, in contrast to the almost instant ovation for the large choral symphony.

"SEA SYMPHONY" A SUCCESS FOR LSO, CHORALE March 11, 2006 By KellyHansen The Longmont Symphony Orchestra and director Robert Olson returned to Vance Brand Auditorium on Saturday evening after the long winter break between regular subscription concerts. During that time, memories of the orchestra's terrific November concert may have faded somewhat among LSO patrons. While that concert showed that the orchestra is often at its best in the more "traditional" repertoire, this month's offering--in collaboration with the Longmont Chorale--was a reminder of the experimental, often daring direction Olson has sometimes taken with his programs. This was one of the conductor's most risky endeavors to date. The "Sea Symphony," a 1910 score by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, is one of the most important choral/orchestral works of the twentieth century, but its length and difficulty render performances rather rare. Longmont Chorale director Timothy Tharaldson was apparently able to convince Olson that his singers could pull it off. Saturday's accomplishment was a resounding validation, providing a rush of salty sea air in the midst of a snowy evening in the Rockies. The performance of the hour-long symphonic cantata was, quite simply, a breathtaking experience. Walt Whitman's poetry does not particularly lend itself well to musical setting, but Vaughan Williams, who was passionate about the American bard, responded to Whitman's lengthy verses with equally expansive music. The Chorale responded admirably, with mostly understandable diction and a surprisingly solid grasp on the rhythmic and harmonic intricacies of the music. They also rarely had difficulty being heard over the orchestra. The quick declamation of the text in the third movement was especially good. The orchestra, however, was even more impressive. Olson, known widely for his excellent interpretations of Gustav Mahler's huge symphonies, clearly drew on this experience in conducting the work. The piece, like Mahler's Eighth (also a choral work), is called a "symphony" for a reason, and the orchestra was never subordinate to the chorus. Particularly magical was the quiet, almost unbearably sustained postlude to the gigantic last movement. The two vocal soloists, soprano Maureen Sorensson and Baritone Steven Taylor, both of whom are familiar to LSO audiences, were fantastic. Taylor's large role in the slow second movement was memorable, and Sorensson was largely responsible for the effectiveness of the ethereal ending to the first movement. Olson's last choral concert with the LSO in 2004 also featured a challenging large-scale work, Rachmaninoff's "The Bells," but he balanced this with a familiar tone poem by Richard Strauss. While his choice of a companion work in this concert fit the overall "oceanic" theme of the evening, it was somewhat problematic. "And God Created Great Whales," a short 1970 piece by Alan Hovhaness, has a level of popularity, but it was too unusual to serve as an effective curtain raiser to the Vaughan Williams. The orchestra, particularly the percussion section, seemed to enjoy it, but the composition, which contains off-stage recorded tape of whale song and many passages of indeterminate "chance" music, seemed to mystify the audience. The work was greeted with very tentative applause, in contrast to the almost instant ovation for the large choral symphony.