To see a concert program with only two selections on it is a rare thing these days. The staple repertoire is usually divided into a sequence of concert piece, concerto, symphony. It's a programming formula that works…unless, of course, you have a piano concerto of such massive scale that it dwarfs most symphonies.
Thursday night's Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra Masterworks Concert—the last of the season, and, regrettably, my last assignment for this paper—put forward just such a program. And it did so without losing the slightest bit of momentum.
Internationally-renowned pianist Jane Coop was the soloist for Brahms' second Piano Concerto. This gargantuan work takes up an hour of stage time, but in the right hands it is a passionate and evocative work that never fails to engage. Fortunately Coop's were the right hands, effortlessly flitting about Brahms' complex passagework, and tirelessly hammering out the martellato octaves in this Herculean score without missing breath or beat.
The orchestra, too, brought their characteristic energy to the Brahms score, carefully balancing the subtle nuances of his orchestration with the bombast required of the grand tutti sections. The cello solo in the Andante, performed by principal Marc Palmquist was exquisite, echoing the intimacy with which Palmquist routinely approaches chamber performances. I've often mentioned that Geoffrey Moull is one of the better interpreters of Beethoven's symphonies. This is true with his work in the Brahms repertoire as well, and as expected the final analysis proved an engaging and thoroughly satisfying performance.
Of course, given what I just said, the year-end concert just wouldn't have been the same without Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. This old chestnut, as Moull was quick to point out, hasn't actually been heard that often in recent years. Here again the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra took ownership of this powerhouse symphony and made it sparkle with new life. If there were any first-time concertgoers expecting stodgy old Beethoven, I'm certain this exuberant performance changed their perspective on live orchestral music – and judging by the double ovation, I'm confident that this was the case, even among the more seasoned crowd.
Maestro Moull noted that the end of one concert season is often equally a prelude to the next; that endings are often just as much beginnings. This is as true of the symphony season as it is in other areas of life, and as I leave Thunder Bay to pursue my own career path, I do so with a great sense of pride at having been associated so closely over the years with what has arguably become the finest concert orchestra in Canada.
One point of special note that must be raised before closing: An anonymous donor has offered a special matching donation to the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra for next year. All donations that accompany purchases of subscriptions for the 2008/2009 season will be matched by this individual. In other words, buy your subscriptions early and make a donation, and every penny offered to the TBSO will count for double. There simply isn't a better way to ensure that quality live music remains an integral part of Thunder Bay's cultural life. -- www.tbso.ca
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