MPTV show highlights BSO, Shostakovich> Viewers get view into concert preparation

Nearly every month from October to April, the Bangor Symphony Orchestra, the oldest continuous community orchestra in the country, unveils a new program of classical music for its many patrons.

Concert-goers get to enjoy the polished result of weeks of rehearsal by the orchestra, now 103 years old, and its young conductor, Christopher Zimmerman. But now they can see what goes into preparing such a program on “There’s Something About Dmitri,” which airs at 7 p.m. Sunday on Maine Public Television (it repeats at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 17).

“Dmitri” follows the orchestra members and Zimmerman through two Saturdays of rehearsal and the Casual Concert of this past Jan. 16, as the musicians prepare to perform Symphony No. 5 by 20th century Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich, a personal favorite of the conductor.

Early on in the show, Zimmerman explains the goals of rehearsing a piece: “The rehearsal process is informed with remarks about the piece, and the end product is to get the music to speak, way beyond playing the notes at the right time.”

One goal of the special is to examine Shostakovich himself. As a youth, violinist Anatole Wieck attended the premiere of the composer’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in 1968, and saw Shostakovich up close. Wieck detailed the composer’s place in Russian music, explaining that he was able to blend the frustrations and hardships as well as the beauty and creativity in the lives of Soviet citizens, with the beauty winning out in the end.

Zimmerman, who first played Shostakovich as a young violinist at Yale, summed up the composer’s appeal: “The intensity of the music matches the horror of the time in which he was living. It’s so expressive and intense that one just cannot remain unaffected by it.”

During the rehearsal scenes, Zimmerman helps bring Shostakovich to life for orchestra members.

“There’s so much passion in it, and Chris certainly feels that, and gives it to us, both as a conductor and verbally,” said bassist Julie Gockel.

“Dmitri” also delves into the dynamic of the orchestra itself. Since most of its members work regular jobs, this results in long Saturday rehearsals. Musicians talk of the family atmosphere, and the connection of the community to the orchestra. Executive Director Susan Jonason details the orchestra’s history, and its efforts to remain vital into the future.

There’s also a good amount of Shostakovich performed for classical-music lovers, both from the recent Casual Concert and from Zimmerman’s audition concert of the composer’s Symphony No. 10 held April 17, 1994.

Produced and directed by Bernie Roscetti, “There’s Something About Dmitri” does a wonderful job of demystifying Shostakovich and classical music, both for the fan and the uninitiated. It could even bring new converts to the BSO.