By: James Chaudoir - Post Crescent
The Fox Valley Symphony
Orchestra kicked off its 48th concert season with a fascinating program of
challenging music. This concert also marked the beginning of Maestro Brian
Groner’s 20th year as conductor.
Opening
the program was a spirited performance of Johann Strauss, Jr.’s delightful
“Overture to Die Fledermaus.” The overture is filled with an assortment of
tunes that audiences have come to associate with the composer.
Attention
was quickly turned to the feature work of the first half, “Piano Concerto No. 3
in C Major” by Sergei Prokofiev, featuring guest artist Claire Huangci. The
youthful Huangci wowed the audience with her seemingly effortless mastery of
Prokofiev’s massive and demanding opus.
The
first movement opens with a simply stated yet tuneful solo by the clarinet,
played eloquently by principal clarinetist David Bell. This tune quickly gives
way to the strings, but the melodic serenity is suddenly ended with the arrival
of the allegro section in the strings and the first entry of the solo piano. It
was at this point the Ms. Huangci clearly let her presence be known.
Be it
brilliant scalar passages or bursts of rhythmic energy, Huangci’s clarity of
line was always at the forefront. In addition, she has the ability to
skillfully execute the intricate weavings of the piano line within Prokofiev’s
constantly shifting density of orchestral structure.
Two
things stood out: her precise touch at the keyboard and expert blending of
dynamics, a wonderful fusion of technique and artistry.
The
second movement is a set of variations, which opens with the orchestra playing
the main theme, a curiously witty melody first heard in the winds. The
variations feature the solo piano. It is here where Prokofiev deviates from the
gavotte feeling of the theme.
Huangci
undoubtedly had a clear understanding of the personality of each variation and
showed it in her playing, be it the gossamer trill and glissando that opens the
first variation, the rapid scalar runs up and down the keyboard in the second,
the wildly syncopated and angular gestures of the third, the beautiful free
dialogue between piano and orchestra in the fourth or the frenetic pacing of
the final. All these personalities were distinctly executed at the keyboard,
making the movement all the more exciting.
The
quiet ending of the second movement merges attaca to the finale, Allegro, ma
non troppo. Groner’s opening tempo was quite deliberate, adhering closely to
the “but not too much” advice of the tempo marking.
Unquestionably,
this is the true virtuoso movement of the concerto, with multiple climaxes and
a brilliant ending. It was also here where Ms. Huangci demonstrated her
technical skills to the fullest.
The
coda is a musical confrontation between the orchestra and soloist, with both
vying for compositional importance. Huangci’s energy and concentration allowed
her to handle the complex ornamentation, arpeggios, glissandos and other
flourishes while cutting through the massive orchestra. Four lively chords scored
for piano and orchestra together bring the concerto to a dramatic close.
Beethoven’s
“Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major (Eroica)” comprised the second half of the
evening’s program. As we’ve become accustomed to appreciate over the years,
Groner’s vision and execution of this masterwork was complete,
thought-provoking, and most of all, musical.
The
opening of this symphony never ceases to put a smile on my face, two marked
E-flat major chords, and a gloriously simple arpeggiation of the tonic triad …
so simple, so lyrical, so Beethoven.
Groner’s
tempo choice unquestionably played into the heartfelt interpretation of the
opening movement. Within the orchestra, the balance of the strings was
particularly notable.
The
haunting, well-known funeral march theme of the second movement, Adagio assai,
is first heard played by the cellos and then given to the solo oboe, played
beautifully by principal oboist Jennifer Hodges-Bryan. Also present in this
movement was the use of fugue-like passages in the middle section. Groner’s
ideal choices of tempos and dynamics made the performance of this movement
contributed to its success.
The
third movement is an animated scherzo, filled with rhythmic energy, and a
glorious passage of hunting calls heard in the horn section. The orchestra, and
especially the horns, played expressively, paying careful attention to each of
Groner’s gestures from the podium.
The
finale, Allegro molto, offered another set of variations for the evening. The
movement itself is quite grandiose, and shows the direction Beethoven is moving
regarding importance of the symphonic finale.
Again,
Groner was at his best with his conducting, just the right tempo, energy, and
clear identity to each of the thematic variations. All of these elements led to
the orchestra’s rendering a meaningfully expressive performance of Beethoven’s
masterwork.
I have been the principal French horn of the Fox Valley
Symphony since 1998. Over the course of those 16 years I have witnessed amazing
artistic growth of the orchestra. The Fox Valley now has one of the premier
orchestras in the state, something to be very proud of as a community. 
