Tuesday, November 17, 1998
Neoclassical concert enlivens Royce
ORCHESTRA: Symphony celebrates anniversary
in restored auditorium
By Michael Rosen-Molina
Daily Bruin Contributor
With the aid of binoculars, if one squinted just right, cellist
Douglas Davis of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra looked kind of
like Luciano Pavarotti. Performing in the recently renovated Royce
Hall auditorium, the L.A. Chamber Orchestra played to a full house
on Friday.
Davis’ resemblance to the famous tenor paled in comparison,
though, to the surprise prompted by Nicholas Ariondo and his
accordion. One doesn’t see enough accordions in symphonic
orchestras today. But there were bigger surprises to come.
In its third performance in Royce since extensive earthquake
damage forced the hall’s closure in 1994, the orchestra returned to
celebrate the 30th anniversary of its conception with this special
concert series.
The majestic, vaguely classical theater provided the perfect
atmosphere for a neoclassical concert with its ornate carved
ceiling, simple stone pillars and the inscription reading,
"Education is learning to use the tools which the race has found
indispensable."
Of course, there have been some changes since the last time the
public saw Royce Hall. The decorative chandeliers that once dangled
from the ceiling are gone, wisely removed, although the chances of
getting crushed by a falling chandelier in an earthquake are
slim.
Besides a last-minute program change, in which the program’s
second half was performed first and its first half second,
everything went as expected. The audience listened intently as the
musicians tuned their instruments. Admittedly, it was a very
impressive tuning.
Conductor Jeffrey Kahane strode on stage to rousing applause.
Once the concert began, the audience almost collectively leaned
forward in rapt attention.
The orchestra performed two neoclassical pieces: Stravinsky’s
"Octet for Wind Instruments" and Hindemith’s "Kammermusik No. 1,"
as well as Copland’s "Appalachian Spring" and Repighi’s "Gli
Uccelli," "The Birds".
The eerie flutes and melancholy bassoons brought a harder,
clearer feel to Stravinsky’s "Octet for Wind Instruments." The
soothing winds mimicked baroque phrases and classical forms, a
conventional neoclassical trait. At the same time, Stravinsky’s
purposeful objectivity kept one from completely losing oneself in
the piece.
Even people who have never heard Copland before will find
"Appalachian Spring" familiar. Besides appearing in numerous
commercials, the score evokes its source material, the springtime
festivities of a small 19th-century Shaker community, with
scattered fragments of folk tunes. Snatches of music sounded like
they could have come straight out of popular Christmas carols,
including one segment that sounded eerily like "Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer."
Elaborate, high-pitched trilling simulates bird song in "Gli
Uccelli," quite possibly the best composition of the evening.
"Expertly and affectionately schmaltzy," according to the program,
this nostalgic piece recalled the simple pleasures of a leisurely
walk through nature. Judging from the audience’s reactions, the
composition’s escapist character still speaks to listeners in
today’s hectic world.
Written shortly after World War I, Hindemith’s "Kammermusik No.
1" plays with a certain darkness. Its somber tone is sustained by
low trumpets, accordions, glockenspiels and even what appeared to
be a canister of sand. Audience members especially loved this
piece; some later plunged into an in-depth discussion of
sand-shaking. The restrained mood of the piece made it rather
disconcerting when its later movements broke into a march and a
fox-trot, although it is by no means offensive.
The audience responded just as favorably to the rest of the
selection, compelling the performers to return to the stage for a
second bow after "The Birds" and "Octet for Wind Instruments." When
the pieces are taken out of the context of post-war Europe, it is
more difficult to appreciate the composers’ original intentions.
And with a style not so much given to the grand sweep of baroque or
the elegant symmetry of classical music, modern neoclassical pieces
are an acquired taste.
Although too sterile for some sensibilities, the orchestra’s
fine rendition made up for most of these shortcomings. Conductor
Kahane’s enthusiasm for his work was obvious and the orchestra
played to perfection, and it is apparent that its good reputation
is merited.
BAHMAN FARAHDEL/Daily Bruin
The L.A. Chamber Orchestra performed at the recently renovated
Royce Hall on Friday night.
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