April 14, 2010

Review: Eroica Symphony

Students, cellist fill orchestra’s mission
By Lynn Green
The Columbus Dispatch

With its concert at the Southern Theatre last night, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra sought to reiterate its values of traditional and contemporary repertoire, education and support of “rising stars.”

High-school students from ProMusica’s Side-by-Side Student Collaboration joined orchestra musicians for Norman Dello Joio’s Choreography. The piece was composed for student musicians but has its difficult moments. Though the students could articulate with more grace and expressiveness, their technical prowess was impressive.

Guest cellist Joshua Roman joined the orchestra for Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C Major. Roman’s instrument has a wonderful richness of timbre in the middle and upper registers, and he plays with facility in the most rapid passages. In the lower register, though, the crispness of ornamental figures was often lost.

His interpretation of the challenging second movement, “Adagio, molto sostenuto,” was exquisite, with nuanced phrasing and sonority.

Mark Summer’s Julie-O was Roman’s surprise encore, much to the delight of the audience. Free-spirited, jazzy and thoroughly American, it showcased Roman’s technical and artistic skills.

Beethoven’s Eroica symphony anchored the program, providing weight to balance the earlier selections. At around 45 minutes long, it is a relentless and demanding work, but its constant shifts of mood and direction continue to make it a favorite of audiences.

The musicians brought very little new to such a well-known symphony, but they contributed their full technical and artistic capabilities. The balance between upper and lower voices was excellent, as was articulation and phrasing.