Mendelssohn: Italian Symphony

Sinfonietta for Small Orchestra by Sergei Prokofiev and Concerto #1 for Horn and Orchestra by Richard Strauss

Orchestra London: Ovation Series from Saturday November 28, 2009

by Brian Hay

Conductor Timothy Vernon began the show with a bold stroke. He gave a short musical introduction each movement of the Sinfonietta by Sergei Prokofiev before playing through the piece. The gesture was a good one. He knew the work would be unfamiliar to most of the people in the hall so he brought its music closer to them. That move loosened things up nicely. The presentation of the work itself was stellar. The wind playing at the beginning of the piece literally danced. The string passages that opened the second movement emerged as a sombre growl. The music throughout the work ran the gamut from playful to solemn. The playing of the orchestra reflected those facets splendidly.

Their work on the First Horn Concerto by Richard Strauss was truly inspired. The dialogue between ensemble and soloist came across as exactly that. They created impressions of debate, harmony and out and out argument. Ron George (Principal Horn) did a spectacular job of playing the solo part on this work. His control of the instrument was phenomenal. His ability to move from soft to loud without breaking stride was nothing short of breathtaking. And his enjoyment of what he was doing was obvious. As Vernon said later he probably liked standing and playing more than he liked the applause.

Vernon led the orchestra through an impassioned reading of Felix Mendelssohn's "Italian" Symphony. The work began sedately with the joyous opening bars but the orchestra quickly displayed the fire that lies within its core. Their rendition of the first movement was fiery. The level of musical tension they reached during the next to last segment of that movement was such that it seemed about to tear the ensemble apart. The second and third movements featured some delicious playing by the string section. Their work during the opening segment of the second movement was especially ravishing. The finale was an event in itself. The winds were as light as a breeze. The crescendos roared with thunder. The movement as a whole carried the weight of the world but raced like the wind.

(Timothy) Vernon brings a wonderful dynamic to his readings. The aural balance between winds and strings is superb. The wind parts in particular always shine through in ways that don't show on recordings. His sense of drama is strong. He brings humour into the pieces. (The wind playing in the piece by Prokofiev was out and out playful). The musical tension he creates between various sections of the orchestra pulls them in an array of directions. His tempos are lively and flexible. His range between "soft" and "loud" is wide. And he lets the musicians lean into their instruments. This orchestra plays with a definable chop. It's great to watch and even more fun to listen to.

Time and again Orchestra London proves there's no substitute for a good live performance. This program, like most, was a mixture of obscure and familiar. They did an exemplary service to both. They presented the less known in a way that made it accessible. The tried and true was given an injection of energy that was fresh and exciting. That's everything that can ever be asked of a performing unit.

It was an excellent show.

This line serves as a spacer.