Riverside Symphonia performs the work of Debussy, Ravel and Roussel.
By: Aleen Crispino
PHOTOS: SEAN DWYER
|
Ruotao Mao (above) practices on his violin while André Tarentiles (below) plays harp during a rehearsal with Riverside Symphonia.
|
It is fitting that Riverside Symphonia, with its location in Lambertville across the river from New Hope, Pa., should present a chamber concert titled Two Corners of Europe: Impressionistic France and Romantic Germany.
The musicians will perform works by French composers of the Impressionist period in classical music Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel and Albert Roussel. Bucks County, particularly New Hope, was the center of the Pennsylvania Impressionist movement in the early 20th century.
French Impressionist painters such as Monet, Manet and Renoir pioneered an art movement in the second half of the 19th century that emphasized the artist’s impression of reality, as well as the attempt to portray subtle variations in light and color.
These values were reflected by French classical music composers of the Impressionist period as well, says Mariusz Smolij, conductor and music director of Riverside Symphonia.
|
"The general philosophical approach to both Impressionist music and art is very similar; to give an impression, a suggestion, not a full complete picture or full description," says Mr. Smolij. "The lines of musical narration are therefore sometimes a little bit like the lines of the painting brush of Monet, the musical colors and timbres are like that of the French painters; not so concrete, focused on blend, balance and elegance."
Mr. Smolij selected the four works to be performed Feb. 19 and Feb. 26 at First Presbyterian Church in Lambertville.
"I think it is interesting to have a chamber music evening with a wider than usual gamut of instrumental colors," he says. "Most of the time a chamber concert would focus either on strings only, winds only or perhaps piano with one or two additional instruments. Here the variety is quite big: string quartet, clarinet, flute plus harp."
He chose Brahms’ Clarinet Quintet in B minor, Opus 115, to contrast with the French composers.
"Being able to experience the Impressionist style next to the Romantic puts both of them in a very interesting perspective," he says. "You hear the ‘thick’ lines of Brahms somewhat differently after experiencing some Debussy, and also Brahms puts a special light on the colors of the French composers of the early 20th century."
Brahms (1833-1897) composed during the Romantic period in music, which lasted from about 1820 to 1900. The Impressionists, led by Claude Debussy (1862-1918), reacted against Romanticism, which was characterized by powerful and dramatic expression of emotions.
Ruotao Mao of South Brunswick is concert master of Riverside Symphonia. A native of Beijing and a member of the Princeton Symphony Orchestra as well as many other local orchestras and chamber groups, he plays violin in Roussel’s Serenade for Harp, Flute, Violin, Viola and Cello and Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro for Harp, Flute, Clarinet and String Quartet, as well as the Brahms quintet.
"The Ravel is definitely a masterpiece and heavily features the harp, almost a harp concerto, and other colorations of various instruments," Mr. Mao says, invoking the language of the visual arts. "In the Roussel piece there’s a trace of it (Impressionism). There is a great influence, typical of what you would expect from French composers, a different coloration, contrasting colors.
"You would play Brahms with a richer sound than Roussel," continues Mr. Mao, "using the bow with very little vibrato. French music a lot of times is played with a lighter bow and has a more airy sound."
He draws an analogy between music and speech. "It is almost like the French and German languages," Mr. Mao says, "light and heavy."
André Tarentiles of New Hope, Pa., principal harpist with Riverside Symphonia, plays all the selections in the upcoming concert except Brahms, but particularly likes the Ravel piece.
"The Ravel features the harp and would have to be my favorite," he says. "It’s an absolutely gorgeous piece. The French wrote a lot of music for the harp. They’re the ones who popularized the harp, especially the Impressionists, where it really started to take off."
Jan Holms, principal flutist with Riverside SymphoNia, will be playing all three Impressionist works. "They are fabulous pieces of the flute repertoire," says the Lambertville resident. "I feel that French Impressionist composers were particularly sensitive to making the most of the flute’s unique qualities, in terms of color, range and dynamics. The flute part in the Debussy trio, for instance, is often in the lower part of its register, which in most cases would be covered up. In the trio, though, the harp and viola enhance rather than cover this very sensuous, low flute part. The Debussy trio, in my mind, is the musical equivalent of Monet’s ‘Waterlilies’ a palette of ethereal, dreamlike colors."
When Riverside Symphonia performs with its full orchestra of 50 to 55 members, its principal venue is St. John the Evangelist Church, also in Lambertville. However, the more intimate space at First Presbyterian Church is "more conducive to chamber concerts of this size," says Suzanne Maccia, the Symphonia’s executive director.
This is Mr. Smolij’s ninth season as conductor and music director of Riverside Symphonia. He is also music director of Acadiana Symphony Orchestra in Lafayette, La., and resides in Houston, Texas, commuting between Houston and Lambertville.
Mr. Smolij guest conducts orchestras all over the world, most recently the Jerusalem Symphony in Israel and the Wroclaw Philharmonic in his native Poland. He speaks with particular excitement about Riverside Symphonia’s invitation to the Wroclaw Philharmonic to make its U.S. debut on April 22 at a concert at Villa Victoria Academy in Ewing in a concert titled "Jewels from Poland" that will be conducted by Mr. Smolij. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the rebirth, after World War II, of this historic orchestra.
"Brahms himself conducted that orchestra and wrote his Academic Overture for Wroclaw (Breslau) University," he says. "The history of this particular orchestra is very fascinating and tied to the complicated history of that part of Europe" an observation that might be made about the Romantic and Impressionist composers as well.
Riverside Symphonia will perform at First Presbyterian Church, 31 N. Union St., Lambertville, Feb. 19, 26, 8 p.m. Tickets cost $19-$27. For information, call (215) 862-3300 or (609) 397-7300. On the Web: www.riversidesymphonia.org