Times may be bad for the performing arts, and with the economy struggling to show any signs of recovery, many local organizations are definitely feeling the pinch, but the Sacramento Philharmonic seems to have figured out how to beat the odds.
In its opening performance of its thirteenth season, under the continuing direction of Music Director Michael Morgan, the Philharmonic offered Ludwig van Beethoven’s most celebrated opus, his Symphony No. 9 in D minor, the “Ode to Joy.” And the plan worked, as the concert was a complete sell-out, with nary a spare seat to be had as of fifteen minutes before the orchestra was scheduled to play its first note last Saturday night.
That first note was delayed for about 20 minutes, as the throng of attendees waited patiently to be admitted to the Community Center Theater by a clearly overwhelmed staff. And to add to the minor glitches, too few printed programs were available, leaving those who were seated last without the benefit of the information contained in them.
That program contained the standard bios about the four soloists (but none on Mr. Morgan or Ming Luke, the orchestra’s assistant conductor) and included an informative note about Beethoven’s symphony (along with the German and English texts of the glorious fourth movement), but it had nothing by way of background on the Sacramento Opera Chorus (other than to list the 77 singers who comprised the chorus for the performance). For the record, Timm Rolek is the Artistic Director of the Chorus, and Mr. Luke is the Chorus Master.
After the preliminary announcements and welcoming comments and a double-dose of the National Anthem (a favorite arrangement of Maestro Morgan, that, as he explained includes the refrain from “America the Beautiful” played against the second verse), the orchestra got down to work.
What then followed for the next 70 minutes was a thoroughly professional, if at times slightly uneven, performance of what is inarguably one of the great classical compositions of all time. What made the performance less than memorable may be attributed to the state of flux the orchestra appears to be in at the moment.
For example, the concertmaster listed in the program, Dan Flanagan, was not present for an undisclosed reason. His assistant may have taken his place, but the program listed that person as TBD (“to be determined”). The woman who took the position appeared to handle her role effectively, but was it just an accident that Mr. Morgan ignored her presence at the beginning of the performance and barely acknowledged it (almost as an after-thought) at the end?
He did acknowledge his timpani player, and rightfully so, for that instrument is prominent throughout the work, especially in the second and fourth movements. But the musician here, too, was unnoted in the printed program, again listed only as “TBD.”
As it was, we counted somewhere around 64 musicians on stage, more than enough to provide the power and drama of this great piece. They combined to provide a stirring rendition of the dynamic first movement, the conclusion of which elicited a smattering of spontaneous applause from the audience (leading to the same responses to the second and third movements, even if they were not quite as well realized).
But it is the fourth movement that brings everyone out for this work, for it is there that the chorus and soloists provide the memorable “ode to joy” refrain. On this night, it was introduced with an impressively powerful recitative delivered by bass/baritone Kevin Short. The chorus then picked up the theme and carried the majesty of the piece forward in doing so.
Meanwhile the orchestra distinguished itself admirably under Maestro Morgan’s baton, covering the changes in themes without missing a beat while the other soloists (soprano Elizabeth Koontz, mezzo Cybele-Teresa Gouverneur, and tenor Albert J. Glueckert) contributed their parts.
The end was a rush of controlled frenzy, as it should always be, recalling some of the best performances of the finale we have been privileged to hear over the years.
Everyone seemed pleased. Mr. Morgan specifically acknowledged his principal horn player (Ruth Stuart Burroughs) and then just about everyone else on the stage (even his concertmistress), and he returned with his soloists and Mr. Luke several times to the sustained standing ovation everyone received from an obviously more than satisfied capacity audience.
May the rest of the Philharmonic’s new season be equally as successful.