Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 21, 1995 TAG: 9502210063
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: SETH WILLIAMSON CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The Chamber Orchestra of Southwest Virginia, directed by James Glazebrook, played exquisitely Saturday night in the Squires Recital Salon on the Virginia Tech campus. In a program that ranged from Geminiani to Ravel and which was repeated Sunday afternoon, this little chamber orchestra played at a level heard only rarely in these parts. They drew ardent applause from the Recital Hall crowd, who represent the most discriminating, judicious and generally picky audience in the western half of the state.
Playing together for what director Glazebrook said was the "four or fifth" time, this group proved it belongs with Blacksburg's internationally known Audubon Quartet and Mark Camphouse's New River Chamber Winds as one of the three finest area ensembles that perform regularly.
Unlike the Audubons, the Chamber Orchestra of Southwest Virginia performs only once or twice a year. And unlike the New River Chamber Winds, it's not a strictly local group - players from Vermont, West Virginia and North Carolina regularly augment area professionals. But its personnel is roughly constant from year to year, which lends it a continuity missing in pick-up orchestras.
By the time the players had finished the Concerto Grosso in E Minor, Op. 3, No. 3 of Francesco Geminiani, it was hard to believe they'd only had three rehearsals. The strings played with an ensemble, finesse, elan and rich tone that was a delight to hear. Section for section, this group Saturday night was the best orchestra in Virginia. The Geminiani required 14 strings and harpsichord continuo - they danced through the two allegro sections, and the rich texture and breadth of expression in the slow movements was extraordinary.
The Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major, K. 364 of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart needed no keyboard but required two oboes and two horns to supplement the strings. The ripieno here was half of the Audubon Quartet: violinist David Salness, who is the orchestra's concertmaster, and violist Doris Lederer.
This was, to put it simply, the best live performance of this work I've ever heard. The expressive interplay between Salness and Lederer, who play together every day in the Audubons, added up to a deeply satisfying musical dialogue that ranged from bright and witty in the outer movements to a songful lyricism in the middle andante.
The Squires Recital Hall provided an acoustical bonus in that the solo viola part, which is sometimes difficult to hear in larger halls, was easily audible from start to finish. The divided orchestral violas and the sometimes independent cello parts gave the work a richness that recalled orchestras twice the size of this one.
Searching for something this night that fell short of excellence, you might have noticed a slight tentativeness in the oddly syncopated passages of the "Estribillo," the first movement of Aaron Copland's "Three Latin American Sketches." But except for this, the group turned in a specimen performance of this brightly colored work, full of exotic percussion effects.
Especially notable during the Copland was the stellar back line of wind players who joined the strings, including oboist Julianne Verret, bassoonist John Husser, clarinetist David Widder, flutist David Jacobsen and Blacksburg's redoubtable trumpet virtuoso Allen Bachelder. Bachelder in particular had a great night, both in this and the following work.
The night's piece de resistance was "Le Tombeau de Couperin" of Maurice Ravel, the composer's vividly orchestrated version of what was originally a six-movement piano suite. Joining the Copland group were a harpist and a few student wind players.
Glazebrook and his players did a magnificent job with this showpiece of vivid orchestra color. Especially notable was Verret's masterful oboe work, particularly in the difficult piano figuration assigned to the part in the outer movements.
It was a glorious end to a memorable evening of music. The Recital Hall crowd, never a pushover audience, summoned Glazebrook back for three curtain calls during thunderous applause and when oboist Verret was recognized, she drew especially vigorous appreciation.
by CNB