Phew! Tonight was the first concert of our last weekend of the season. And I was surprisingly fuzz-headed all evening. Bummer. It was one of those nights where I just couldn’t get the proper level of focus that I feel I should have being on the front desk. I wasn’t a very good support to Joël tonight – especially in the Britten – there’s a long set of rests (about 60 measures) which are tricky to count and keep track of, and the cue in our part is hard to hear and comes up very fast. I was not ready to come in, and that didn’t help Joël or the rest of the section out at all! Overall, however, the Britten went quite well, with a couple small mishaps here and there, but with superb playing by soloist Elina Vähälä (in her first performance of this piece, it turns out) who looked like Grace Kelly in her aubergine gown. It was a shame that the sublime end of the concerto was ruined by an ill-timed cough by someone in the front section of the orchestra level.
The Mahler went pretty well – it took a little bit of time for the orchestra to really gel, but the broad structures were in place, and the triumphant ending had the audience on their feet and screaming and yelling. A fitting end to a wonderful season!
6 replies on “first night report”
I wated all season for last night’s concert. I was not disappointed. For me, Britten and Mahler is a dream concert. The Britten concerto maybe my favorite, a feeling that was reinforced by vahala’s intensely beautiful performance. It is hard to place one soloist and one concert above the many other fine concerts this season, but personally I would rank vahala’s performance and this concert at the top. Honorable mention would go to bronfman in bartok and the Rossini stabat mater concert. I’d be interested in what others nominate as their favorite concerts of the season.
Voice from the Couch is truly looking forward to a rousing finish to the season. We’ll check back later and let you know after Monday evening.
I just got back from the second night of this program and my feeling that this was my favorite concert of the season has been reinforced. If anything, the playing tonight was even better. Vahala is just a flat out superb violinist and the Britten concerto is a truly under-appreciated work. What an end to the season! Thanks to the musicians for a fabulous year.
We attended the Sun. eve concert. It was outstanding! One of the best in my 55 years of going to symphony concerts all over the world. This was the first time hearing the Britten. What a great work, and beautifully played. The Mahler performance will certainly standout in my memory. Our thanks to the orchestra for sharing this wonderful music with us.
How nice to hear that my impression was not off base, Arthur. We’re truly fortunate that we have an orchestra that can deliver such world-class performances here in Portland.
just back from the outstanding concert.
one of the evening’s highlights for me was that moment in the Britten when a super-high violin passage is taken over by 2 piccolos and the tuba enters. a brilliant example of “timbral modulation.” inspired.