By Jamie Morris – Courier & Press correspondent
The Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra opened its season Saturday night to a full house eager to enjoy the evening.
In its 73rd season, the Philharmonic unveiled a “Classics Series” that is both ambitious and refreshing. From Mahler to Sibelius, Copland to Meyer, the Philharmonic has clearly raised the bar for itself.
The program for the opening night found the mark.
The Philharmonic began with Beckel’s “Toccata for Orchestra.” This piece had a fanfare quality that kept your attention from beginning to end.
The energy in the orchestra was dynamic. Part of what added to the excitement was the use of mixed meters.
This compositional technique can cause problems for even the best musicians, but the Philharmonic managed the problem very well.
Beckel’s “Toccata,” commissioned by a consortium that included the Philharmonic, was premiered earlier this year, and this evening’s performance was its first in Evansville. The composer was in attendance for what was a very enjoyable and refreshing opener.
The program continued with Verdi’s “Prelude to Aida.” This is a very delicate and exposing piece; a start contrast to the “Toccata.”
A number of the orchestra’s main players were featured, offering us a glimpse of the talent on stage.
I was particularly impressed with the warmth and maturity of the tone in the string section, and for the most part, this was an enjoyable performance.
Enter Edgar Meyer, internationally acclaimed musician and composer and a master of the bass. Meyer and the Philharmonic performed Bottesini’s “Concerto No. 2 for Double Bass in b minor.” Bettesini, a bass player himself, composed this piece in 1845. Aside from a few ensemble (timing) issues, this three-movement piece was very enjoyable.
Meyer’s performance was remarkable. The audience showed its appreciation with a standing ovation. Rightly so.
After a brief intermission, Meyer returned to the sate with the orchestra for the performance of his own composition, “Concerto for Bass.” Not unlike Bottesini’s concerto, Meyer’s is in three movements, though the similarities end there.
In this piece, Meyer very creatively incorporates blues themes and a variety of other melodies that seemed to take us on a trip around the world. Much like the opening “Toccata,” this 21st century piece contains a substantial about of mixed meter and interplay between the various sections of the orchestra.
Again the audience showed its appreciation with a standing ovation, and we were all rewarded with a solo encore by Meyer. “Pickles,” the name of this bonus selection was without a doubt the best solo bass performance I have ever heard.
The evening closed with the international favorite by Ravel, “La Valse.”
As much as this is a well-known and popular piece, I was surprised this was chosen as the closer for the opening night. This is one of those pieces that can cause problems for an orchestra in a hurry. At time the brass was too loud and covered the orchestra. I felt the orchestra was running a race to the finish line and not enjoying every moment of this piece. I don’t think Ravel composed any music that is easy to perform, but the Philharmonic ended the evening with a great deal of energy and excitement. I congratulate the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra for a very enjoyable evening.
