VALLEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

By Scott Detweiler

In a memorable of performance (at the Los Angeles Valley College Mainstage Theatre in North Hollywood) under the baton of Dr. Robert Chauls, the Valley Symphony Orchestra presented a program of works by Franz Liszt (1811-1886) and Serge Prokofiev (1891-1953).  The pieces performed were Liszt’s Hungarian Fantasy No. 2 (orchestrated by Karl Muller-Berghaus) and Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Flat Major and Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 in B Flat Major.  It was their first concert of the 2005 Season.  Special guest concertmaster on loan from the Los Angeles Philharmonic for the event was Rochelle Abramson. 

Liszt’s Hungarian Fantasy No. 2 is well known for being an exciting and colorful piece of music.  It is also well known for being very difficult to perform well.  This is largely due to the intricate violin runs and the wide range of dynamics throughout the piece.  (The wide range in dynamics is why this piece has been used for the musical score for so many classic cartoons.)   Among the eighteen other Hungarian rhapsodies originally composed for piano, Muller-Berghause’s 19^th century orchestration brought the entire piece down to C minor, from it’s original key of C sharp minor, in order to make it more orchestra friendly.

Charls conducted this with passion and control.  The several sections of the piece that call for pulsating grooves maintained by pizzicato celli, bassoons, string/wood unisons and oompah brass, were all obedient to his baton.  Principal clarinetist, Cindy Bradley, played the solo clarinet parts with confidence and clarity.

In a stunning Velvet gown, which foreshadowed the velvet touch she would bring to the piano for the evening,  Hae-Sun Pope took her place at the piano and delivered a most  incredibly daring and exciting performance of Liszt’s piano concerto no.1 in E Flat major. 

A piece like this one makes many demands of the soloist, including that she not be fearful of striking a wrong note throughout the blistering passages of raw emotion that pour from the score.  Pope met this challenge head on.   Gonzo!  Not only did she display a strength and intensity mostly seen in seasoned performers but she also flashed that spark and virility found in usually only in younger players. 

From the moment she sat down until the moment she stood up (she had a standing ovation throughout three curtain calls), the audience was drawn in and mesmerized under her command.  Pope’s performance of the Liszt piano Concerto No. 1 was undeniably one of the best ever performed in the Los Angeles area in recent memory.

Prokofiev’s 5^th symphony, of course, one of the most important pieces of musical literature of the 20^th century, was honored and dignified by a truly balanced and powerful performance by the Valley Symphony.  The piece is very complex and modern sounding, despite the fact that it was composed over 60 years ago.

Conductor Chauls did a masterful job in connecting this piece, keeping the quality of the performance of the orchestra consistent throughout the piece.   From the soaring Gershwin-esque theme and rich texture of the first movement, to the bizarre middle eastern sounding harmonies that color the vast dynamic range of the second movement, and the rich passionate waltz of the 3^rd movement, he had the entire orchestra under his complete control.  He conducts with an animated style, grace and precision.

Dr. Robert Chauls, in addition to being the director of the VSO since 1992 and professor of music at Los Angeles Valley College since 1973, is a prolific composer of opera, orchestral and chamber music.

Be sure to get tickets early for “Happy Birthday, Brahms!!”, the next VSO concert, which is scheduled for Saturday, May 7, 2005, at 8:00PM at the LAVC  Mainstage Theatre.  Special guest performer will be violinist, Mitchell Newman, performing Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D Major, as the VSO celebrates the composer’s 172^nd birthday.  Also on the program is Brahms’ Symphony Number Two and a performance of the winning piece in the Eleventh Annual Composition Competition.

©2005 Scott Detweiler.  All Rights Reserved.

Scott Detweiler is an accomplished composer in his own rite and has just released his sixth CD.  For more details, log on to www.detweilermusic.com, or write to scott@detweilermusic.com.