VIENNA!

Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra Master Series Concert
Monday, December 3, 2007 – 8 p.m.
First Presbyterian Church – Hilton Head Island

For many music aficionados, there is probably no better way to usher in the holiday season than with a program of Viennese music. The Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra regaled a large crowd Monday night at the First Presbyterian Church with a line up of favorites from the pens of some revered composers with strong Viennese connections.

Maestra Mary Woodmansee Green, with her usual panache and flair, led her players in a tidy rendition of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Overture to "The Magic Flute." It gave a sense of dignity and seriousness to the program which continued in the work that followed: Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C Minor.

In some prefatory remarks, conductor Green noted the proximity in time of the genesis of the two works and yet the vast difference in their use of the orchestra (e.g. the expanded range of instruments in the Beethoven, from the high pitched piccolo to the low pitched contrabassoon).

The "fifth" was handled with considerable skill by Green and the orchestra. The first movement proceeded smoothly and conveyed the proper sense of struggle and strife. The second movement enjoyed a nice rich blend of the lower string sound and moved fluently. The third movement scherzo was tossed off brilliantly with sensitive dynamic shading and virtuosity in the trio by the lower strings. The exposition of the fourth movement seemed a little on the slow side but as the tempo picked up into the long coda, excitement grew to a rousing finish.

Before beginning the program's second half, Green announced a reversal in the order of the printed program. The six pieces that make up the suite from Richard Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier" would precede the playing of the three works by Erich Korngold that comprise his "Straussiana."

The six pieces from the "Der Rosenkavalier Suite," arranged by N. Nambuat (actually Otto Taubmann backwards), contain some of the most sublime melodies of all time, let alone the 20th century. While atonality was making inroads in Vienna, Richard Strauss was still writing pretty, palatable music. The orchestra played the suite with immense passion and lyricism.

The formal program closed with Korngold’s "Straussiana." A pizzicato Polka, a charming Mazurka, and a lilting waltz are settings of Johann Strauss II lesser known music. The orchestra’s adept handling of the three short pieces brought the evening to a satisfying close.

Incidentally, none of the four composers whose works were included in this program happens to have been born in Vienna. So, perhaps as an afterthought, Maestra Green returned to the stage to give the evening a really genuine connection with the great city. After a dignified, respectable presentation of some truly great masterpieces, we all ended up joining in, clapping our way through that indispensable piece no Viennese New Year’s Concert could end without: born-in-Vienna Johann Strauss II’s "Radetsky" March. Seriously, it was great fun.

To Maestra Green and the orchestra, Prosit!!!