HRO-mantic: Sugared Strings Win Audience

Last Friday night, the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra (HRO) took on two of the most romantic composers in a performance opened by warm congratulations from conductor James Yannatos to the ensemble’s graduating seniors. Yet, Ludwig van Beethoven and Gustav Mahler did not draw as much of a crowd as Gavin DeGraw, who was still playing on the steps of Memorial Church. Sanders Theater was only half full when Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3, Opus 72a started playing.

Opus 72 is known for the many changes it has undergone over time. The piece was originally composed as an opera to a libretto and has been rewritten by its composer four times. It is in the form of Leonore Overture No. 3 that this operatic composition has received its greatest success. The HRO’s performance of the short overture, despite handling the crescendos in an almost too-professional manner, still sounded harmonious—thus creating great expectations for what was to come after the intermission.

However, to the conductor’s surprise, the stage was only partially full when the brief intermission ended. One of the bass players was missing in action, but this hindrance did not prevent Yannatos from sticking to the schedule and beginning Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, albeit with one musician absent (the bassist’s later, hurried return to the stage was not quite inconspicuous). The somber solo trumpet that opened the first movement, entitled “The Funeral March,” immediately drew the listeners’ attention. The trumpet was joined by the orchestra in a build-up of this theme of mourning, which escalated to a cacophonic agitation. This unsettling climax quickly gave way to a peaceful theme, dominated by sounds of strings and bassoons that werereminiscent of Eastern European music.

The HRO, led by no less than four co-concertmasters, continued vacillating between tension and serenity, the latter being especially pleasant due to a strong cello section.

The fourth movement, “Adagietto,” was written for only strings and harp and is perhaps one of Mahler’s best-known works. The romantic piece was given a successful treatment by the HRO’s violinists, who played as if they were soundtracking an Italian silent movie. The dark, uneasy arrangements seem to have surrendered fully to the sugary strings.

While the bulk of the college’s music fans were outdoors listening to DeGraw, those who sat in Sanders received more than their fair share of Mahler in the cathartic fifth movement. This symphonic finale juxtaposed many of the themes introduced throughout the piece. Particularly adept were the French horns and trumpets, which were pleasantly energetic with their jovial sounds.

Unfortunately, the HRO played to only a half-capacity crowd at Sanders. But those who were there exhibited their appreciation with a standing ovation, which the orchestra earned during the excellent fifth movement. The orchestra’s last performance on campus will be held during Arts First weekend, when it will also face stiff competition from other formidable musical rivals. Music director Yannatos will have to find the right pieces to attract a sizable audience worthy enough for the last concert of the HRO’s 200th year.