Like a peacock in full plumage, the Portland Youth Philharmonic showed off many of its talents with stunning effect in its season opener on Saturday evening (November 14) at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The program featured Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto and four other works by Verdi, Bloch, Debussy, and Prokofiev on themes from Shakespeare. Each piece exposed the high level of musicianship in this orchestra, and the fine leadership of its music director and conductor David Hattner.
One of the highlights of the concert was the performance by Kai Talim, who won the orchestra’s piano competition last year, of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major (Opus 58). Talim, a 16-year-old junior at Sunset High School, demonstrated a fine sense of lyricism in his playing. The orchestra never overplayed its hand and complimented Talim skillfully. Some of the pacing was too relaxed and that reduced the drama of the music. Yet, overall, the collaboration between Talim and the orchestra was very satisfying.
The pieces that really grabbed my attention were two interludes from “Macbeth,” an opera that Bloch wrote when he was only 22 years old. The robust beginning of the first interlude held sway with heroic calls from the trumpets, evocative playing by the strings, and graceful tone from the woodwinds. The mood completely changed in the second interlude, which was dominated by sounds that were twisted, tormented, and full of struggle. The piece ended in a blur of angst with the tuba and lower strings pronouncing the last chord.
Another intriguing work on the program was the ballet music from Verdi’s “Otello” with its swaying melodies and rousing finale. The wiggle-waggle sound from the flutes gave the sense of dancers in motion, and that was enhanced by a silky tone from the violins and a solid and blended sound from the brass.
Also impressive was the all too brief fanfare from Debussy’s “Le Roi Lear.” The horns, trumpets, snare drum, and harps created an atmosphere of majesty and splendor in their playing of this piece. All we needed was an actor to come out on stage and recite a passage from the play.
The concert concluded with a number of suites from Prokofiev’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Hattner noted in his remarks to the audience that this was the first time in its 86 years that the PYP has performed any selection from this work, and the orchestra tackled this piece with gusto. The mood of these suites was mostly light, playful, congenial, and well-balanced. The principals in the woodwind section deserved kudos for their contributions, but principal bassoonist Midori Samson really stood out with her impeccable playing. Still, the wild frenzy evoked by the violin section in the“The Death of Tybalt” suite was a high point, and they were wonderfully enhanced by the soaring horn section and wailing trumpets in the final measures. I’m looking forward to hearing the orchestra play the whole work someday soon.
