BSO begins 105th season with gusto > MCA audience delighted by performances of works by Brahms, Rachmaninoff

The Bangor Symphony Orchestra launched its 105th season dramatically, romantically and robustly to a packed audience at the Maine Center for the Arts in Orono on Sunday afternoon.

The familiar red performance area of the MCA filled up early with a crowd eagerly awaiting the return of the orchestra after its summer hiatus. As the players took their places on stage, rounds of warm applause were shared with concertmaster Lynn Brubaker, double-soloists Kerry McDermott and Inna Nassidze, and finally for music director Christopher Zimmerman.

The Brahms’ “Double Concerto for Violin and Cello” began with a burst of big, typically Brahmsian chords, but then allowed each of the two soloists to introduce themselves in a solo and cadenza, at first individually, and then in duet. BSO cellist Inna Nassidze and New York Philharmonic violinist Kerry McDermott pulled this difficult opening off magnificently, combining great freedom of expression with equal technical virtuosity. Their two instruments literally sang together.

From where I was sitting, there were some volume problems during this piece, in which the string section of the orchestra overpowered the soloists, although ironically enough it was during these loud fortissimo sections that the strings sounded their most confident. When they attempted to play quietly under the woodwinds, for example, the sound seemed not merely hushed, but mushy or perhaps even muddied.

The second movement of the Brahms concerto, with its long, drawn chords and heroic melody, was delightful, and the interplay between the soloists seemed to intensify. It was also a nice touch to see them apparently enjoying themselves as they performed, smiling at each other during rests, and then losing themselves in the music once more.

The final movement of the concerto, with its energetic dancing rhythm and ever-changing moods, from somber to humorous and from languorous to dramatic, is so typical of music written during the Romantic period. And, true to the spirit of the Romantic, conductor Zimmerman ably led McDermott, Nassidze and the BSO to a clear and exuberant climax.

After several curtain calls for the orchestra and the featured soloists, and after a brief intermission, the orchestra returned for a performance of the massive “Symphony No. 2” of Sergei Rachmaninoff. Before beginning, however, Zimmerman spoke to the audience, wryly making the equivalent of a retraction and correction. Noting that he had believed that both works on today’s program had never been performed by the BSO, and that he had said so in print, Zimmerman ruefully admitted that both the Brahms concerto and the Rachmaninoff symphony had indeed been performed by the orchestra before.

“… So it looks as though the only one for whom these pieces is a new experience … is me!” Zimmerman added.

The Rachmaninoff “Symphony No. 2” is a large piece, a long piece, maybe even what in slang terms might be called a “killer piece,” putting the orchestra through almost every conceivable romantic mood for the more than 60 minutes it takes to play in its entirety.

Lush string sounds abounded, for those not familiar with the piece, think “Mantovani.” But there were also lots of sprightly passages and almost military-sounding narratives.

While it is difficult to write about a piece that lasts more than an hour in any detail, some of the outstanding moments included a beautiful clarinet solo passage, performed with passion and fluidity by BSO principal clarinetist Beth Weimann.

A great deal of the exotic tone and musical color of this piece came from the fine work of the double reed section, notably in the third movement, which was also graced with a short brass chorus, sonorous and lovely.

Best, however, was the final movement. Like a runner within striking distance of the finish line, the orchestra seemed to find its second wind. The pacing was excellent, the percussion section pulling out all the stops to add bursts of textured sound. All the fireworks in the final movement went off in the right places, the quiet moments like a dark sky waiting for the next burst of light and color.

Before the concert, Christopher Zimmerman had confided that his biggest challenge in presenting this piece would be in trying to sustain a build of intensity throughout. In the final movement, I believe that Zimmerman met that challenge admirably.

Overall the only consistent problem seemed to concern relative volume. The BSO strings sound wonderful loud, less so when they are trying to be quiet. But at times they did overpower the soloists in the concerto. Later in the symphony, lovely countermelodies performed by the brass section were almost lost behind the “wall of sound” from violins and violas.

That being said, the program was nonetheless exhilarating, full of passion and played with a great deal of bravura. And, all in all, the concert was a truly exciting start to the upcoming season, promising great things in store.

The next Bangor Symphony Orchestra concert, featuring works by Copland, Mozart and Mendelssohn, will be performed Oct. 29 at the Maine Center for the Arts in Orono.