LSO Review of November 13, 2004 Concert

The Longmont Symphony is typically directed by a guest conductor on at least one of its major programs each season. This is often a chance for the musicians of the orchestra to show off the way they have developed under music director Robert Olson to an outside face. Unfortunately, a guest conductor may reveal certain weaknesses in the orchestra that the music director knows well enough to overcome. Both of these aspects were in evidence Saturday evening at the Vance Brand Auditorium of Skyline High School as Portuguese maestro Mario Mateus let the Longmont musicians in a concert featuring noted viola soloist Scott Lee.

While the sound of the LSO musicians was as fine as it has ever been, and while the soloist was both technically and musically satisfying, the ensemble problems that have reared their heads in certain previous LSO concerts were perhaps more in evidence this week. Unusually, the best part of the program was the opening overture, Franz Schubert’s “Rosamunde.” It was played with crispness and verve, highlighting the aspects of this composer’s style that are recognizable from other of his works.

While Lee’s warmth of tone is extremely impressive and he overcomes the somewhat cumbersome nature of the instrument with delicacy and agility, his choice of programming was somewhat disappointing. Neither of the two works for viola and orchestra that were played are among the best written for the instrument. The “Romance” by Max Bruch is a lush, romantic piece, but its proportions are very slight. This was an attractive choice, but rather than balancing it with something more substantial, such as the Bartók concerto, Lee instead played Paganini’s rather pot-boiling “Sonata for Grand Viola.” Unlike the Bruch piece, this work did not reveal the best aspects of Lee’s playing, and the long passages in high harmonics contained several infelicities.

Mateus and the orchestra also had a very noticeable ensemble counting issue about midway through the Bruch piece that should have been corrected earlier than it was. Lee was enthusiastically received by the Longmont audience, and he played a pre-prepared encore that required the orchestra to play with him. It was a humorous little piece that created the desired effect. Lee is undoubtedly a very fine player, but this was probably not one of his better evenings.

While the soloist portion of the concert was slightly disappointing, Mateus rebounded in the second half with a truly exquisite reading of the “Pastoral” symphony by Beethoven. The first movement was probably the best of the five, possessing both rustic earthiness and impeccable pacing. The second movement “Scene by the Brook” was a little on the slow side, but held together well, and the “bird” cadenza at the end was terrific. The LSO horns, always among their bright spots, lent a radiant color to the final “Shepherd’s Song.” The only disappointment here was that despite a rather short-running concert, Mateus elected not to take either the first movement exposition repeat nor the one in the scherzo. The LSO musicians have the stamina for this, and the audience certainly had the time, so there really wasn’t any good reason for this omission.

The Longmont Symphony has built a reputation on adventurous programming and exceeding its expectations. When, as in this concert, there are some slight disappointments, it only underscores the professionalism and high standards the group under Olson has set for itself. He returns to the LSO in its next performance, the annual “Candlelight Concert” on December 14 at First United Methodist Church in Longmont. For tickets and information, call (303) 772-5796 or email Symphony@qwest.net.

LSO conducted by Mario Mateus November 13, 2004 By Kelly Dean Hansen Special to the Times-Call The Longmont Symphony is typically directed by a guest conductor on at least one of its major programs each season. This is often a chance for the musicians of the orchestra to show off the way they have developed under music director Robert Olson to an outside face. Unfortunately, a guest conductor may reveal certain weaknesses in the orchestra that the music director knows well enough to overcome. Both of these aspects were in evidence Saturday evening at the Vance Brand Auditorium of Skyline High School as Portuguese maestro Mario Mateus let the Longmont musicians in a concert featuring noted viola soloist Scott Lee. While the sound of the LSO musicians was as fine as it has ever been, and while the soloist was both technically and musically satisfying, the ensemble problems that have reared their heads in certain previous LSO concerts were perhaps more in evidence this week. Unusually, the best part of the program was the opening overture, Franz Schubert’s “Rosamunde.” It was played with crispness and verve, highlighting the aspects of this composer’s style that are recognizable from other of his works. While Lee’s warmth of tone is extremely impressive and he overcomes the somewhat cumbersome nature of the instrument with delicacy and agility, his choice of programming was somewhat disappointing. Neither of the two works for viola and orchestra that were played are among the best written for the instrument. The “Romance” by Max Bruch is a lush, romantic piece, but its proportions are very slight. This was an attractive choice, but rather than balancing it with something more substantial, such as the Bartók concerto, Lee instead played Paganini’s rather pot-boiling “Sonata for Grand Viola.” Unlike the Bruch piece, this work did not reveal the best aspects of Lee’s playing, and the long passages in high harmonics contained several infelicities. Mateus and the orchestra also had a very noticeable ensemble counting issue about midway through the Bruch piece that should have been corrected earlier than it was. Lee was enthusiastically received by the Longmont audience, and he played a pre-prepared encore that required the orchestra to play with him. It was a humorous little piece that created the desired effect. Lee is undoubtedly a very fine player, but this was probably not one of his better evenings. While the soloist portion of the concert was slightly disappointing, Mateus rebounded in the second half with a truly exquisite reading of the “Pastoral” symphony by Beethoven. The first movement was probably the best of the five, possessing both rustic earthiness and impeccable pacing. The second movement “Scene by the Brook” was a little on the slow side, but held together well, and the “bird” cadenza at the end was terrific. The LSO horns, always among their bright spots, lent a radiant color to the final “Shepherd’s Song.” The only disappointment here was that despite a rather short-running concert, Mateus elected not to take either the first movement exposition repeat nor the one in the scherzo. The LSO musicians have the stamina for this, and the audience certainly had the time, so there really wasn’t any good reason for this omission. The Longmont Symphony has built a reputation on adventurous programming and exceeding its expectations. When, as in this concert, there are some slight disappointments, it only underscores the professionalism and high standards the group under Olson has set for itself. He returns to the LSO in its next performance, the annual “Candlelight Concert” on December 14 at First United Methodist Church in Longmont. For tickets and information, call (303) 772-5796 or email Symphony@qwest.net.