LSO Review of November 12, 2005 Concert

Robert Olson has gained a reputation for asking a great deal from his musicians. The conductor and music director of the Longmont Symphony Orchestra has, over the past several seasons, put together concerts that unite familiar standards with less known, often very difficult orchestral masterpieces.

The semi-professional orchestra usually responds with an admirable, praiseworthy effort. Some ventures have been more successful than others, but there is no doubt that Olson has raised the LSO to a level that is quite above that of the average mid-sized city ensemble.

Guest soloists have also been an integral part of Olson's formula. Many of these artists give spectacular performances that are remembered for some time afterward. An example would be Richard Kogan's transcendent reading of Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto last season.

Saturday's concert at Vance Brand Auditorium, however, set a new standard. Using a soloist who is not only local, but has played as a member of the LSO ensemble, and changing the program relatively late to a less "challenging" piece, Olson broke some of his usual patterns. Both ended up being inspired moves. This was easily the finest LSO concert in at least three seasons.

After opening with an atmospheric reading of the "Hebrides" Overture by Mendelssohn which showed the LSO cello section at its best, Olson basically turned things over to his guest soloist, pianist Catherine Millis. A doctoral student at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Millis has attracted recent notice in competitions.

She played the ubiquitous "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" by Sergei Rachmaninoff, a work in which the pianist rarely pauses and the orchestra is rarely ignored. Millis completely captivated the audience with her performance, and the orchestra responded with an attentive and attractive collaboration.

The fifteenth variation, played by piano alone, showed Millis at her most virtuosic, while the popular eighteenth was charged with emotion. The extraordinarily difficult twenty-fourth (and last) variation was perhaps a little slower than usual, but it was completely accurate. Most importantly, Millis provided a fresh interpretation of the work that seemed to focus more on musical expression than overt virtuosity, which was most welcome.

Carl Nielsen's Fourth Symphony, heard played by the Boulder Philharmonic just two months ago, was originally scheduled to close the concert. Olson changed the program, including instead the familiar "Firebird" Suite by Igor Stravinsky and the lesser known, but exquisite, music from "Pelléas and Mélisande" by Gabriel Fauré.

Whatever his reasons, the results produced were terrific. The Fauré pieces, often deceptively simple, were played with appropriate delicacy and grace. The last of the four selections in the suite was omitted, which was strange in a short concert running well under two hours. It was the only minor qubble on a near-perfect evening.

The Stravinsky was on another level entirely. Quite simply, this was as fantastic a performance of this early twentieth-century masterpiece as we have a right to expect. Particularly wonderful was the powerful beginning of the "Infernal Dance" movement close upon the heels of the intensely quiet ending of the "Princesses' Round Dance." The big finale of the suite was genuinely thrilling.

The crowd was much larger than usual, and they were treated to something genuinely special. It was a triumphant night for Olson, for Millis, and ultimately for the culture of the city of Longmont.

OLSON, PIANIST PROVIDE BEST LSO CONCERT IN YEARS November 12, 2005 By KellyHansen Robert Olson has gained a reputation for asking a great deal from his musicians. The conductor and music director of the Longmont Symphony Orchestra has, over the past several seasons, put together concerts that unite familiar standards with less known, often very difficult orchestral masterpieces. The semi-professional orchestra usually responds with an admirable, praiseworthy effort. Some ventures have been more successful than others, but there is no doubt that Olson has raised the LSO to a level that is quite above that of the average mid-sized city ensemble. Guest soloists have also been an integral part of Olson's formula. Many of these artists give spectacular performances that are remembered for some time afterward. An example would be Richard Kogan's transcendent reading of Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto last season. Saturday's concert at Vance Brand Auditorium, however, set a new standard. Using a soloist who is not only local, but has played as a member of the LSO ensemble, and changing the program relatively late to a less "challenging" piece, Olson broke some of his usual patterns. Both ended up being inspired moves. This was easily the finest LSO concert in at least three seasons. After opening with an atmospheric reading of the "Hebrides" Overture by Mendelssohn which showed the LSO cello section at its best, Olson basically turned things over to his guest soloist, pianist Catherine Millis. A doctoral student at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Millis has attracted recent notice in competitions. She played the ubiquitous "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" by Sergei Rachmaninoff, a work in which the pianist rarely pauses and the orchestra is rarely ignored. Millis completely captivated the audience with her performance, and the orchestra responded with an attentive and attractive collaboration. The fifteenth variation, played by piano alone, showed Millis at her most virtuosic, while the popular eighteenth was charged with emotion. The extraordinarily difficult twenty-fourth (and last) variation was perhaps a little slower than usual, but it was completely accurate. Most importantly, Millis provided a fresh interpretation of the work that seemed to focus more on musical expression than overt virtuosity, which was most welcome. Carl Nielsen's Fourth Symphony, heard played by the Boulder Philharmonic just two months ago, was originally scheduled to close the concert. Olson changed the program, including instead the familiar "Firebird" Suite by Igor Stravinsky and the lesser known, but exquisite, music from "Pelléas and Mélisande" by Gabriel Fauré. Whatever his reasons, the results produced were terrific. The Fauré pieces, often deceptively simple, were played with appropriate delicacy and grace. The last of the four selections in the suite was omitted, which was strange in a short concert running well under two hours. It was the only minor qubble on a near-perfect evening. The Stravinsky was on another level entirely. Quite simply, this was as fantastic a performance of this early twentieth-century masterpiece as we have a right to expect. Particularly wonderful was the powerful beginning of the "Infernal Dance" movement close upon the heels of the intensely quiet ending of the "Princesses' Round Dance." The big finale of the suite was genuinely thrilling. The crowd was much larger than usual, and they were treated to something genuinely special. It was a triumphant night for Olson, for Millis, and ultimately for the culture of the city of Longmont.