Explosive finale caps BSO season

Yesterday’s Bangor Symphony Orchestra concert at the Maine Center for the Arts proved that Werner Torkanowsky is one conductor who is not afraid to go too far.

In this last concert in the classical series, Torkanowsky offered a program that was so enormous and splendidly alive that the boomy aftershock is sure to last BSO fans well into next season.

The concert began with a bright and brisk reading of Bach’s Suite No. 3 in D Major. The technical difficulty did not seem to daunt the string section, which was clipped and clear, especially during the first movement. The walking bass line of the second movement was exquisitely brisk and stirring.

The cellists and bassists let go with just the right amount of rhythmic buoyancy, and keyboardist Robert Bahr added atmospheric charm with the harpsichord. The overall tightness of the performance made it easy to overlook the strain in some areas.

Torkanowsky’s reading of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major was perhaps the most exciting offering of the season, and surely the highlight of yesterday’s concert. With pointed intensity, fiery suspense, and a delightful sense of humor, Torkanowsky coaxed a first-rate performance from his musicians.

The slow, teasing opening streamed forth gracefully and forbodingly. Finally, the floodgates opened, and there was no holding back Torkanowsky.

Flutist Susan M. Heath animated sweet melodies, and the symphony as a whole welded together to show the depths of its skill. While oboist Geoffrey Holland had moments of lovely clarity, his generally uneven and uninspiring solos interrupted the tension of the piece.

The concert ended with a highly polished, big, and bold explosion of Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2, a patriotic testament to the Finnish composer’s homeland. The BSO shined during this passionate, volatile piece, which seemed to scale the heights of craggy mountain cliffs and dip into the icy lakes of Finland. If ever a filmmaker wants a monumental soundtrack for an adventure film about Finland, this brassy, bombastic piece, filled with urgency and countless climaxes, would fit the bill.