The Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra

After one year of conducting the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra, Attilio Poto can be given the credit for its solid improvement. Faced with the problem of an orchestra divided between hard workers and people who just enjoy playing their instruments once or twice a week, Poto has installed an enthusiasm and an interest which the orchestra lacked for some years.

This enthusiasm leads Poto towards programming his concerts a little too ambitiously, however. On Friday night the orchestra tackled Rimsky-Korsakoff's Scheherazade, a showpiece which demands that an orchestra be strong in all its sections; every first chair player must be a capable soloist. Although there were fine individual performances in the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra from Richard Bogomolny on violin, Michael Senturia on oboe, and Cynthia Deery on English horn, other sections, noticeably 'cello and French horn, were weak.

The orchestra was better in Mozart's Flute and Harp Concerto. If its performance was a little heavy, this was not entirely the orchestra's fault, for in spite of the intriguing combination of instruments it is not one of Mozart's better concert. Karin Peterson played the flute part well, and Sally Day was wonderful on the harp. They combined impeccable technique with good phrasing and the result was real musicianship.

The orchestra did its best playing of the evening in The Triumph of St. Joan Symphony by Norman Dello Joio. Here they showed a substantial and well-balanced orchestral tone; although occasionally rough, at its best it was rich and exciting. The symphony is an outstanding American work. The three movements follow the story of Joan of Arc as Maid, Warrior, and Saint. The dramatic intent of the music is emphasized by an instrumentation including bass drum, kettle drums, snare drum, cymbals, and bells. The Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra gave it a reading that clearly showed the group's improvement. We can thank Attilio Poto for the new vitality in the orchestra.