Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 17, 1995 TAG: 9510180037
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SETH WILLIAMSON SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
David Wiley took his test flight with the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra as the first of five short-list candidates for the job of RSO music director and conductor. And to judge by the reaction at the end of the night, a lot of satisfied customers would have no problem with Maestro Wiley taking the baton on a permanent basis.
Two 19th century Romantic classics, a 20th century masterpiece for choir and orchestra and the world premiere of another work were on the menu. Three of the four got enthusiastic reactions, and three out of four ain't bad.
After the customary season-opening rendition of the ``Star Spangled Banner,'' with the not-so-customary presence of the Roanoke Valley Choral Society singing the words of the first verse, Wiley began the regular program with Beethoven's ``Egmont Overture.''
The young conductor cut a Beethovenian figure himself as he strode onto the stage. His conducting style is a change from that of former music director Victoria Bond, who was relatively conservative and to the point with her stick.
Wiley has a big, not to say huge, beat, and has no fear of the dramatic gesture. Though there was a seeming disagreement among the strings early on as to what the tempo should be, things quickly settled down to a performance full of Romantic brio. Wiley and his players careened into the spirited coda and brought the piece to a satisfyingly dramatic close.
It is almost by definition unfair to judge a new work on the basis of a single hearing, which puts Jeffrey Mumford's ``distinct echoes of glimmering daylight'' at a disadvantage.
That said, it seems unlikely that this overly intellectualized work will get many repeat performances. Said to be about ``the relationship of foreground and background elements'' - not exactly a gripping subject - the piece has ``academic composer'' written all over it. Shifting slabs of string sound moved uneasily over noodlings from the woodwinds and honking from the brass. There was no tonal center or other pole star by which the ear could orient itself. It got polite applause.
The first half of the concert ended with a gorgeous performance of one of the most radiantly beautiful night pieces produced in the 20th century, the ``Serenade to Music'' of Ralph Vaughan Williams. Scored originally for 16 solo singers and orchestra, the ``Serenade'' is a setting of Shakespeare's memorable tribute to the art of music from the final act of ``The Merchant of Venice.''
With a solo contingent led by redoubtable soprano Marianne Sandborg, who is one of Virginia's great musical natural resources, this was a tremendously moving performance of a masterpiece. Maestro Wiley either loves Vaughan Williams or has an admirable ability to put himself in the Englishman's musical universe. Though none of the vocal soloists but Sandborg was especially remarkable, the total effect was one of luminous beauty.
The second half of the concert was devoted to a strong reading of Antonin Dvorak's ``New World'' Symphony. Those who think they've heard this piece one too many times should have heard Wiley and the RSO do it. Full of gorgeous solo work (and one spectacular trumpet clam), it was one of the finest long works this orchestra has done in quite a few performances.
Wiley was able to establish good communication with the players in the short time he had, eliciting exquisite dynamic contrasts in the second movement, for example. The performance got many shouts of bravo and a quick standing ovation for a triumphant end to this audition season.
Seth Williamson produces feature news stories and a classical music program on public radio station WVTF (89.1 FM) in Roanoke.
by CNB