Ann Arbor Symphony Throws Mozart A Memorable Bash

After last year's extravagant celebration of Mozart's 250th birthday, the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra could perhaps have been forgiven for relaxing a little for Ludwig's 251st. Instead, the A2SO took on a trio of challenging works Saturday night at the Michigan Theater that not only showed off Mozart's range of compositional skills but also served as a showcase for some of the ensemble's principal musicians.

The program opened with Serenade No. 4 in D Major, which relies heavily on the strings and in particular the violin playing of concertmaster Aaron Berofsky, who's playing was particularly expressive in the second movement. I was a little concerned early in the work when it seemed the strings seemed muted, but that problem sorted itself out quickly.

A quartet of players - Kristen Beene (oboe), Jeffrey Lyman (bassoon), Brian Bowman (clarinet) and Andrew Pelletier (horn) - were marvelous on Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante in E-flat Major, especially during the last movement. The evening closed with the composer's "Coronation'' Mass in C Major, which ended with an especially moving Angus Dei sung by soprano Jennifer Larson who, along with Wendy Bloom (mezzo-soprano), Glenn Perry (tenor), Chris Grapentine (bass baritone), and the Vocal Arts Ensemble, truly made the piece - if you'll pardon the expression - a near-religious experience.

From strings to winds to a choral work, the concert proved again that Mozart was more than just a composer of pretty piano pieces - if indeed any proof were needed, especially after 251 years.
Before the concert began, Willard Zirk, who served as the A2SO's principal horn player for 24 years until he retired last April, was presented with plaque in honor of his long tenure with the ensemble. -- www.a2so.com