LSO “Decks the Halls” to near-capacity crowd

Review by David Kocsis

Tuesday night, a near capacity audience enjoyed the fruits of another Christmas special concert by the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra, ably assisted by the chorus of LaGrange High School. The musical offerings spanned the ages, from the twentieth century back to the seventeenth. The major work of the concert was the “Gloria” by Antonio Vivaldi, a massive 11-part work ably performed by the LaGrange High School chorus. The large audience was very enthusiastic in their applause for a well prepared concert experience.

The program opened with sparkling performances of two well-known works by Leroy Anderson: “Sleigh Ride” and “Buglers Holiday”. The orchestra was in top form with the possible exception of the percussion section which seemed bent on rushing the tempo set correctly by Maestro Cobos. A minor point, possibly, but probably a point not to be lost on professional musicians. The three trumpeters for tonight's “Buglers Holiday” were in exceptional form, playing cleanly throughout, including the devilishly difficult repeated triple-tonguing. The tempo was a little slower overall than this reviewer is used to hearing. However, I can easily overlook that for the cleanness of attack and unity of ensemble between the three soloists.

How refreshing it is to see a large group of high school students willing to undertake learning seven or eight choruses from a 17th century composer, standing up in front of 700 people, and turning in a commendable amateur performance. The four female soloists were well prepared and delivered a poised performance. In the orchestra, the cello and oboe soloists gave the work a very sensitive rendering and flawless accompaniment to the soloists in each work in which they were featured. Overall, considering forty percent of this evenings orchestral makeup was comprised of students from Columbus State in collaboration with dozens of LaGrange High School students shows what kind of musical excellence in musicianship is going to be available to the citizens of Central Georgia in the years to come.

I sincerely hope that those in the audience who don’t normally attend a LaGrange Symphony concert, but did so on Tuesday either because of affiliation with members of the high school chorus, or the lighter classics so ably rendered by the orchestra alone, will find in their memory of the evening a reason to return to Callaway Auditorium and discover the gold mine that is the continued excellence proffered by the LSO. As a professional musician, I know that every performance is not going to be as good as it could be but, for the most part, I come away from an evening at the symphony feeling better than when I entered the front doors of the auditorium.

Symphony and Chorus offer their best Autumn Voices
By Cynthia K. Brown

Debbie Ogle conducts the LSO and Chorus

The LaGrange Symphony and the Symphony Chorus performed their fall offering “Voices of Autumn” Tuesday evening at Callaway Auditorium and what an offering it was! From the first note sung to the last note played it was indeed an offering to our town of some of the best talent gathered in one place that could be found anywhere!

The Symphony Chorus performed Durufle’s Requiem as the concert opened. The chorus is a marvelous collection of voices from all walks of life who just enjoy singing the master works of music. Durufle’s Requiem is not unlike Faure’s Requiem in that it offers the peace and restful optimism of the spiritual journey of the soul. Appropriately, the last movement is that journey to paradise. The chorus was powerful when needed, and, in contrast, lyrical when needed.

During the movement of Domine Jesu Christe, the women especially were in top form with their enunciation during the quick moving Latin. This writer understood every word. The organist, Dr. Faythe Freese, was as Durufle would have wanted; subdued but supportive. The orchestra accompaniment was also complimentary of the singers.

The two soloists, mezzo-soprano Morgan Earle, and baritone, James Camp, were unbelievably superb! The two young people are students from the music department of LaGrange College and have brought their talents home to share with us. When the last movement was finished, it was as though all of us had been brought to the throne of God in perfect rest to be in His presence for eternity. Conductor Debbie Ogle has no rival when it comes to conducting major works. She is as comfortable conducting an orchestra as she is a small group of singers. She manages to extract every bit of music from any group she rehearses.

The second part of the concert featured the LaGrange Symphony in two serenades for a string ensemble: Serenade for Strings in e minor, Op. 20 by Edward Elgar and Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48 by Piotr Illyich Tchaikovsky. Two more beautiful selections to pair with the Durufle could not have been chosen. Music is not just to be played but to live and breathe; without these two things, music is dead. When the orchestra played the first notes of Elgar’s piece, it was clear that this music had life! The phrases rose and fell with the baton of Maestro Cobos and brought the audience along with it.

In the second piece by Tchaikovsky, it is a familiar theme that begins the piece and makes one feel comfortable and “at home” with the music. As Dr. Toni Anderson said as she introduced the piece, it was “written from the heart”. Every movement was performed with such feeling and musicality it would be difficult to find any better. Many in the audience found themselves tapping along when the music picked up in a playful mood; proof that the orchestra had us in the palm of their musical hand! When the last movement finished, the audience was not satisfied just yet and Maestro Cobos gave a small taste of the theme again for the dessert of the evening.

As Maestro Cobos wished the audience a Happy Thanksgiving, this writer was indeed thankful having attended this concert; thankful, also, that in our small town, there is much to be enjoyed; offered by many talented and gifted people. Make it a personal choice to attend any concert presented by the plethora of music performers here in LaGrange, Georgia.

LSO opening concert wows audience
by David Kocsis

 

Maestro Patricio Cobos and the LSO bask in warm applause

Tuesday night's opening concert of the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra played to one of the largest audiences for a symphony concert at Callaway Auditorium to date. The concertgoers gave the members of the orchestra and Maestro Patricio Cobos standing ovation after standing ovation, and it was well deserved. Was it perfect? No - didn't need to be. It was exciting, fresh, and played with passion and complete mastery of the music at hand. Whatever Pat Cobos asked the orchestra to do, they did. And, as good as any orchestra you'll ever hear anywhere on this globe. I feel that before I am through writing this review, my wordsmithing machine, currently set to spew forth superlatives, will simply gasp its last - and die!

 

The Charles Ives "Variations on America" was precise, and just as Charles Ives had probably envisioned, thanks to the masterful orchestration by American composer William Schuman from the original, written as an organ solo. There was grandeur, interspersed with humor, with a smattering of "dual tonality" thrown in for good measure. The orchestra, I'm sure, enjoyed playing it as much as the audience enjoyed listening to it. Entrances and cut-offs were precise, and the intonation from all sections of the orchestra was sure, especially in the string sections.

 

Lee Johnson following the world premiere of "Horace King: Unabridged"

Lee Johnson's "newly commissioned piece "Horace King: Unabridged" (is that a play on words?), should surely vault the composer into the rarefied pantheon of Great American Composers, and even more, into the more rarefied pantheon of Greatest Living American composers. The idea of weaving computer-generated sounds into orchestral compositions is certainly not new. Two Columbia University composers by the names of Otto Luening and Vladimir Usachevsky parlayed this medium onto recorded surfaces in the 1950's with the Louisville Symphony Orchestra, but the results were ghastly! Here is where Lee Johnson diverges from the norm. His music was at times powerfully overwhelming, yet dynamically beautiful. He "threaded the needle" so skillfully between what he felt he had to say in the work, perfectly balanced with what the audience could grasp. I feel, at this point in his career, there is absolutely nothing that he cannot accomplish, and I look forward, eagerly, to his next offering.

 

What can be said about Antonin Dvorak's Symphony No. 9, "From The New World" that hasn't been heard before. It is extremely intimidating to program this work, simply because everyone knows it. Along comes the LaGrange Symphony and Maestro Cobos with an interpretation that is as fresh and clear as dew on the pumpkin. As well known as this work is, few realize that it is a difficult score. The sheer magnitude and length of the symphony needs to be reckoned with. I was duly impressed with the way the orchestra performed, never letting down, until the last chord faded away into nothingness. The slow second movement was sublime, evoking total peace and tranquility. Cobos demanded even more concentration from the orchestra on the third and fourth movements, and they never faltered, never let down one time; indeed, they seemed to get stronger as the work progressed.

 

What we listened to tonight was an orchestra and conductor that performed purely for the joy of performing. One never got the feeling that even one musician on that stage thought, "ho hum, another performance to get through", as I know for a fact that so many orchestra musicians throughout the world, feel. It's time, Board of Directors, to step up to the plate and start putting things in motion for this orchestra to make its first professional recording. The Johnson and the Dvorak are certainly two candidates to include.