AMERICAN WEST SYMPHONY AND CHORUS, Libby Gardner Concert Hall, May 20, one performance.
Playing its first concert in Libby Gardner Concert Hall, the American West Symphony and Chorus Monday evening gave a performance that was exciting, exuberant and high-spirited.
Under the baton of music director Joel Rosenberg, the symphony and chorus closed out its season with several crowd-pleasing works by Russian composers, as well as Sibelius' ever-popular "Finlandia."
With Rosenberg at the helm, the American West Symphony has proven itself one of the area's best community orchestras. The members are all dedicated musicians who play with determination and conviction. And Rosenberg usually succeeds in coaxing a strong, focused performance from them.
The American West Chorus, too, is made up of a group of diligent performers who bring depth and perspective to the music they sing.
Monday's concert opened with a lively performance of the overture to Glinka's opera "Russlan and Ludmilla." The orchestra's dynamic playing imbued the piece with a robustness that was invigorating and vibrant. The chorus joined the symphony for the two other works on the first half of the program.
You don't often hear Sibelius' "Finlandia" performed with chorus. But this version, in which the chorus sings the hymn tune near the end of the piece, just before the opening tutti returns, is dramatically effective and surprisingly direct.
This performance of "Finlandia" was also nearly flawless. Both the chorus and orchestra outdid themselves in giving a stirring and dramatic reading of this piece. The brass section in particular was remarkable for its precise, clean playing.
Before intermission, the orchestra and chorus played Borodin's "Polovtzian Dances." Rosenberg elicited a highly entertaining and well-executed performance from both ensembles.
The second half of the concert opened with two selections from Mussorgsky's opera "Boris Godunov": the Coronation Scene and the aria "I Have Attained the Power." Bass Robert Brandt was the soloist.
Brandt has a deep, resonant voice that's powerful, yet at the same time lyrical and fluid. He did a remarkable job in the aria, singing with feeling and expression. It was a moving, deeply felt interpretation that captured the momentous occasion when Boris Godunov has finally been crowned czar.
The evening ended with Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture." This was a well-crafted performance, in which the orchestra played with passion and intensity, and the chorus sang with emotion and sincerity. It brought the concert to a tremendous conclusion.
E-mail: ereichel@desnews.com