Orchestra lacks cohesiveness

Violins steal show with virtuosity in Mahler

This past Sunday, the Oberlin Orchestra played Mozart, Berg and Mahler to a sizable crowd in Finney Chapel. But despite the overall talent of its members, the Orchestra as a unit fell somewhat short of its potential.

Student conductor Amitabh Rao opened the concert with Mozart's Overture to "The Marriage of Figaro." Although occasionally stiff, he provided a delightfully crisp reading of Mozart's familiar score. Though there were small balance issues such as the unnecessarily hushed woodwinds, the overall effect was engaging.

Several problems of ensemble balance plagued the next piece on the program, the "Seven Early Songs" by Alban Berg. Soprano Angela Baade evoked the many vivid images implied by the texts, but half of her nuance was lost to Finney's high rafters, and the other half was lost to an overbearing orchestra. The former loss is to be expected but the latter could have been prevented. Berg's web of polyphony is indeed tricky to control, but even the instrumental solos were obscured by the rest of the orchestra. The composer's complex combination of foreground and background elements here seemed largely neglected.

This performance was not without special moments, though. The orchestral phrases in "Nacht" unfolded gracefully and the gradual shift of timbres in "Liebesode" was moving. Baade was at her most expressive in "Die Nachtigall", using a smooth and seductive lyricism to depict the tired bird.

The orchestra's performance of Mahler's "First Symphony" which ended the program, got off to a rather unfortunate start. The numerous exposed opening gestures proved too fragile for some members of the orchestra. This inauspicious beginning loomed ominously over the rest of the performance. There was much good playing, but the many weak transitions resulted in an overall lack of cohesiveness.

A good performance of this symphony leaves an audience inspired - it ends with a triumphant coda which artfully recalls the peaceful state with which the work begins. With such a predilection for sectionalizing, the totality of the work is lost on the audience, and all that remains in the memory is the ending, impressive only for its speed and volume.

Despite the end result, it must be emphasized that many of the players were quite committed. One highlight was the charming waltz in the middle of the second movement. Other successful moments included the barking horns near the end of the first movement, the agitated opening of the finale, and the buildup to the final explosion initiated by the violas. Without a doubt, though, it was the violins who so consistently stole the show with limitless focus and clarity.