Fenwick vs. Felicity
Students earn scholarships
Minster vs. Southeastern
Home > Blogs > Arts and Entertainment > Archives > 2009 > May > 30 > Entry
Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra ends season on a high note.
The spirit of Charles Wendelken-Wilson informed the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra’s final classical concert of its Colours season, A World of Change featuring the DPO and the DPO Chorus, Friday, May 29 at Schuster Center.
Wendelken-Wilson was the longtime conductor of the DPO who died Sunday, May 3. Music Director, Neal Gittleman praised Wendelken-Wilson saying without him “the DPO wouldn’t be the DPO and Dayton wouldn’t be Dayton.”
Wendelken-Wilson would have, no doubt, been proud of the orchestra’s opening reading of Richard Wagner’s “Rienzi Overture.” It began with a slow movement announced in trumpet calls, introducing after a few measures an impressive theme in the strings. This was repeated by woodwinds and brasses with accompaniment in violins and violas. During the piece, Gittleman squeezed every ounce of pathos out of the overture and the nimble DPO responded with typical eagerness and fervor.
Prior to the Ralph Vaughn Williams opus, Dona “Nobis Pacem” Gittleman paused to recognize musicians and vocalists who had been DPO members from five to forty years. Of special note was brass master Richard Chenoweth who is retiring after 33 years.
“Dona Nobis Pacem” is a plea for peace that featured the orchestra, chorus, baritone soloist James Cordes and the angelic voice of soprano Andrea Chenoweth. The different sections blended seamlessly and the austere theme of the piece seemed to lift and inspire the chorus to exalted heights.
The second half of the concert was devoted to Beethoven’s “Fifth Symphony.” And why not? It’s one of Beethoven’s most complex and often-played classical compositions. At a pre-concert talk, Gittleman explained how you can either play the work too fast or too slow. The DPO found a comfortable space in the middle and the elegant rendering fully engaged the audience.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Music - Classical
Comments
By muzak
May 30, 2009 2:55 PM | Link to this
The Philharmonic also performs tonight, 5/30. Can’t wait to go. I’m grateful I’ll be able to hear Richard Chenoweth’s last concert…he’s a former professor of mine from UD and a really good man.