Season Opens with World Premiere

Freshmen who brought their parents to Friday evening’s concert in Sanders Theatre—hoping for a stimulating diversion from the stress of midterms and papers—were surely not disappointed.

In the magnificent premiere of their 199th season, Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra (HRO), with Music Director James Yannatos conducting, played music linked by the recurring themes of conflict and tragedy. The talents of the members of the orchestra were showcased as the concert featured the intricate rhythms of works by Hsueh-Yung Shen ’73, Sergey Prokofiev, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

The evening performance opened with welcoming remarks by the president of HRO, Chrix E. Finne ’07. Making note of the families in attendance for freshman parents’ weekend, Finne cheerfully reminded parents that while they could not capture memorable moments with flash photography, they could wave to their children on stage.

The concert began with the world premiere “Encounter (Ballade II) for Orchestra,” which was written by Shen at the request of Yannatos. The HRO effectively conveyed the story behind the music, which the program explained as “a rather universal story of human frailties pitted against larger natural forces.” Setting different orchestra groups in opposition to one another, the work commenced with the “chatter” of woodwinds, slow brass chords, and the plucking of strings, already giving listeners a sense that tensions were building.

Sharply contrasting each other, the instruments did not develop any sort of discernible pattern until the piece progressed much further. Even then, a very diverse field of instruments and an intense pace created a chaotic atmosphere. The piece moved on to include a short but skillful solo performance by co-concertmaster Matthew J. Kan ’07.

While the conclusion of the piece did not leave a listener with a sense of resolution, the HRO energetically pulled off the impressive feat of synthesizing the divergent elements of the work.

After Shen went on stage to meet the audience’s applause, the HRO proceeded to display its ability to rouse listeners with tragedy. The orchestra performed selected movements from Prokofiev’s “Suite No. 2 from Romeo and Juliet,” including the scenes “The Montagues and the Capulets,” “Juliet, Young Woman,” “Dance,” “Dance of the Girls from the Antilles,” and “Romeo at Juliet’s Grave.” The orchestra’s string players were particularly remarkable for their clear pizzicato and skilled glissandos.

“Romeo and Juliet” is notable for its many solos, played by everything from snare drum to bass clarinet, and the HRO smoothly transitioned from one solo to another. Consequently, the solos served to enhance the orchestra’s ability to move its listeners with Prokofiev’s music.

The evening’s performance had a dazzling finish with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique.” The slow and somber beginning to the first movement gave no indication of the change in mood that was to come. In the second movement, orchestra members’ technical precision shone as they navigated through the difficulty of playing an irregular 5/4 time that was meant to be played with the style of a waltz in 3/4 time.

The HRO appeared at its very best in the third movement. The movement’s grandiloquence and force may have been a little too overbearing at times. But, the powerful close of the third movement evoked a “Bravo!” from a listener and unconventional applause from the audience between the movements—a practice usually frowned upon by classical music goers.

Perhaps the most moving and anguished movement of the entire evening was the fourth movement of the symphony. It stressed more effectively than ever the theme of misfortune and desolation: Tchaikovsky’s symphony premiered nine days before his death—which may have been a suicide, though the issue is hotly contested by musicologists.

Despite a few slightly messy wind entrances and a brief moment of unsynchronized violin bowing, the HRO, with its newest members performing with the orchestra for the first time, proved to be a success. Even though Friday evening called forth the over-arching themes of conflict and tragedy, the audience resoundingly rewarded the orchestra with applause and delight.