Columbus Symphony Orchestra
David Alan Miller, conductor
Aubree Oliverson, violin
Ohio Theatre
Columbus, OH
February 3, 2023
Simon: This Land
Barber: Violin Concerto
Encore:
Puts: Arches
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, From the New World
Under guest conductor David Alan Miller, the Columbus Symphony presented an exuberant program of American music – the first half comprised of American composers, the latter the view of a foreigner looking in. As music director of the Albany Symphony Orchestra, Miller has developed a reputation for his commitment to contemporary music, and began the CSO program with a 2019 work of Carlos Simon. This Land is a musical depiction of the Statue of Liberty, and in particular, the Emma Lazarus poem at its base. It began introspectively with earthy harmonies, as a mediation on the poem and monument, and perhaps the less than promised realization of those ideals. A patchwork tapestry of various national anthems took shape, and the brief work closed as pensively as it began.
Barber’s Violin Concerto put the considerable talents of soloist Aubree Oliverson in the spotlight. Eschewing introductory material, the music got right down to business with a rich lyricism from bar one, heightened by Oliverson’s warm, amber tone – self-assured, and articulately projecting over the orchestra. The movement was not without moments of tension, but never wandered far from its lyrical heart. A mournful oboe marked the central Andante, music clearly from the same pen as the Adagio for Strings, and the solo writing reached high into the range of Oliverson’s instrument. A breathless moto perpetuo – and the most harmonically adventurous of the movements – made for an exciting, energetic close. Certainly one of the finest concertos to come from this country, and on a personal note, I have fond memories of hearing the work here back in March 2010 – the very first time I attended the Columbus Symphony.
As a well-deserved encore, Oliverson selected another American composer in Kevin Puts, a name which has gotten much attention as of late following the premiere of his opera The Hours at the Met this past November. Arches proved to be a real treat for the audience: the violinist selected the final caprice wherein she drew out the titular arches without respite, increasingly wide and to mesmerizing effect – a jaw-droopingly virtuosic response to the Barber finale.
The evening closed with Dvořák’s “New World” symphony, the crowning product of his American sojourn. Some local concertgoers may have heard the symphony just the night before, concluding the Lviv National Philharmonic’s performance at Denison University. A passionate and brooding opening purveyed drama without bombast, while a stirring chorale began the Largo, setting the stage for the memorable English horn solo. In the scherzo, Dvořák found a way to remind us of his Czech origins in its flavor, seamlessly blended with the “American” material, and the lilting trio was especially delightful. The finale was dramatic to the finish of this polished performance, evidencing Miller’s fine chemistry with this orchestra.
quasi-faust 