Mahler’s Fifth Symphony was the featured fare on the Virginia Symphony Orchestra’sFerguson Center program Friday, and it was given a brilliant rendering.Unlike most of Mahler’s other symphonies, the Fifth tends not to be programmatic.It doesn’t have significant descriptive baggage that goes with it–words to help explain emotions.
Rather, it’s essentially symphonic for its own sake.Granted the earmarks of Mahler’s preoccupation with such themes as death and darkness are abundant, along with his references to folk melodies and lieder.Out of habit, many have tried to tack programmatic elements to it.But, essentially, it calls to mind lightness and darkness and heroism and humbleness.It’s a work that doesn’t require psychological analysis but rather a work that is best served by allowing its often turbulent, often introspective lines to flow over and through you.A work to be absorbed.
The complexities of the Fifth are many, what with the interweaving of themes such as the opening trumpet call that transforms itself many times over throughout the first movement, the deeply layered musical texts, and the constantly shifting highs and lows of expression.
The Fifth easily commands your attention as it unfolds.Similarly, does it command the attention of the players. It is not a piece that allows anything short of total concentration.The fact that the VSO performed this work and to such a high degree of excellence is again a reminder of the superior nature of this orchestra and its conductor JoAnn Falletta, now celebrating her 25th year at the musical helm.
Throughout the lengthy composition, the orchestra and Falletta pulled from the Mahler its full range of emotions and feelings.When it comes to musically suggesting darkness, despair or melancholy, few do it as well or as completely as Mahler.Likewise does he excel in crafting moments of supreme exaltation and rapture.For all the ups and downs of this magnificent work, however, his “Adagietto” remains the take home memory, its heavenly, upward looking, ethereal quality being absolutely mesmerizing.Written as a love song to his wife, Alma, the magical movement is sublime, as was its performance.
The full range of the orchestra’s capabilities and skills were in full force as the Fifth drew to a glorious, thunderous close, which instantaneously found the house on its feet in sustained cheering, whistling, and hollering well-deserved shouts of approval.
The evening opened on a very pleasant and cheery note with Glazunov’s Violin Concerto in A Minor, performed by Newport News native, Brendon Elliott. The 20-something youth is a skilled performer who has the makings for a significant career.
Although the Glazunov is not a showy piece, being of a generally gentle nature, it is not without its moments of virtuoso display, which found Elliott in firm control. He embraced the work’s abundant lines of melody, charm, grace and warmth, displaying a well developed and sustained sense of lyricism and line.
A student at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music, winner of numerous important awards, participant in significant music festivals, soloist with increasing numbers of orchestras, and violinist who also boasts credible orchestral experience, Elliott is at the start of what could be a big career.How fortunate we were to have him appear on this program and deliver a work of such pleasure with such finesse and artistry.
