Many Happy Returns

THERE IS NO better occasion than a birthday to pay homage to a great composer, and in honor of Beethoven's 204th, the Bach Society Orchestra played an all-Beethoven concert last Saturday evening. Chosen from Beethoven's seven concertos and nine symphonies, the Violin Concerto in D. Opus 61 (1806), offered a change of solo instrument after performances of piano concertos in the past two concerts, and the Symphony Number Eight in F, Opus 93 (1812), was simply the only one that could be managed by the small 43-man orchestra.

Ronan Lefkowitz, soloist in the Concerto, impressed the audience with his mature, contemplative interpretation, which was delivered with such liquid phrasing and soothing tone that the emerging performance created a sense of reverence for the work, which the audience did not expect to feel. The first movement was played slowly, almost ponderously, but with careful pacing and calm control so that it moved with inexorable continuity. At the movement's highpoint, Lefkowitz displayed dazzling virtuosity in the intertwining, unbelievably intricate Kreisler cadenza. The audience was fascinated and broke into applause after the first movement. The third movement Rondo picked up a light, Viennese lilt that occasionally became reminiscent of a Bohemian dance. The orchestral exposition of the Concerto, which opens so sweetly and delicately, was meek and hesitant. But by the Rondo the orchestra had warmed up to its full spirit.

After the intermission, the orchestra surprised the audience with its vigorous performance of the Eighth Symphony. Hugh Wolff once again proved to be a conscientious conductor, sensibly placing music before histrionics. The orchestra was well-disciplined and seemed well-rehearsed. But one could not forget that the Bach Society is, after all, a student organization. While the forte tutti sections were played with gusto, the subtleties of phrasing, slight accentuations, and nuances in dynamics were never quite made apparent, for fear of sacrificing precision and ensemble. This was also a problem in the pianissimo sections and during some of the solo and chamber passages.

Nevertheless, the Bach Society concert was enjoyable, mainly because it was so human. There's a kind of humility found in sympathizing with the orchestra's faults, at the same time feeling its enthusiasm and bigness on stage.