Concerto winner, Orchestra work in harmony

The winning prize of the prestigious Oberlin Concerto Competition is to take center stage with the Oberlin Orchestra. Pianist and Conservatory senior James Ho-Jae Cho had that privilege this year, although with his brilliant performance, his prize was more like a gift for all the fortunate people in the audience. His piece was the finale for The Oberlin Orchestra concert in Finney Chapel this past Wednesday.

The piece that won it was Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for Piano and Orchestra. Cho took a commanding presence as soon as he stepped on stage. From beginning to end, he maintained complete control of the demanding piece, never losing his momentum. Being showcased was not a problem as every note came off with effortless confidence and commitment.

He struck a nice balance, knowing when to be simple and when to be intense. Although Cho kept his cool throughout the performance, his rendering of the piece was infused with emotion and fire. He carried the audience along with every stroke of the keys. When the familiar main theme came, the audience could not help but to be swept away. Cho did Rachmaninoff's rapturous music complete justice with his powerful interpretation.

When the orchestra was not being outshined by an amazing virtuoso, it fended for itself with two other pieces. The evening opened with Anatol Liadov's "The Enchanted Lake." The mood of the piece was exactly as the name implies, evoking an atmosphere of wonder and charm.

Full of soft whispers and gentle ripples, the piece envelops one into its intoxicating tide. The orchestra, conducted by Louis Lane, played with the perfect amount of flow and subtlety. Moments that suggested a more mysterious or even ominous quality always resolved themselves into soothing relief. It made for a gorgeous opening and an appropriate piece for the spring season.

Sandwiched in the middle was Rimsky-Korsakov's well known Scheherazade. All told, it was the weakest portion of the program, which is unfortunate given that the piece is such a popular favorite. When fed with the proper amount of energy and passion, the piece takes on a feverishly seductive presence. Wednesday night's rendition felt tentative, half committed and unenthusiastic.

The opening statement, which when delivered with might and force serves to draw the audience in to hear the tale, felt unconvinced and unprepared. In fact the whole first movement needed more volume and more of a tumultuous rumble in order to create the stormy mood. The horns seemed particularly shaky. To the orchestra's credit, they built up a crescendo so gradual that it seemed to extend across the entire movement.

The prominent violin solos of the piece, delivered by concertmaster Claude Sim, were also slightly messy in the first movement. Because the solos offer themselves to easy scrutiny, they need to be executed with absolute sharpness and conviction. Luckily, his solos steadily improved, and by the last movement managed to captivate the audience in their spell.

The orchestra handled the rapid changes of the second movement with competency but little flair. In the calmer seas of the third movement and the final wrath of the fourth movement, the orchestra managed to take on some of the sweeping, brass-led crescendos and fortes with brilliance. They almost redeem themselves by the end, but these efforts only serve as a tease for how the rest of the piece could have gone with more investment and care.