With the U.S. Olympic Hockey team advancing to the gold medal game, it was hard not to feel a little patriotic on Friday. Even the most hardened cynic had to be brimming with just a bit of American pride.
As a result, the timing couldn't have been better for the first performance of the semester by the UB Symphony Orchestra, which was a tribute to famous American Composers. It was an inspired idea for a performance, and was executed to near perfection. The orchestra was truly on their game Friday night.
Considering the inclement weather conditions in the Buffalo area that evening, there was a concern that the orchestra would be playing to an empty crowd. Luckily, that was not the case, as a nearly packed crowd was on hand to witness a truly excellent show.
The program, entitled Viva America, featured performances of five well-known compositions by early 20th century American, such as Aaron Copland and George Gershwin.
The evening began with Aaron Copland's An Outdoor Overture, an epic, grandiose performance that certainly grabbed the audience's attention. As the orchestra was playing, everyone in the crowd had their eyes glued to the stage.
The orchestra's performance was nearly flawless. For the entire ten-minute performance, there was rarely a bum note. The students performing this piece had put great effort into their work, and it paid off. Even a hardened classical music snob would give them props for their tremendous chops.
The second number of the night was David Diamond's Psalm, which while not without its share of bombast, is considerably more subdued than the opening number. This composition relies very heavily on the string section, whose playing needed to be perfect for it to work.
Luckily, the string section was up to the task. Once again every instrument was in tune, and the audience received the full effect of the orchestra without even a hint of dissonance entering the atmosphere.
The centerpiece of the first half was a performance of three relatively brief numbers from Leonard Bernstein's classic musical On The Town. The highlight of this was 'Lonely Town: Pas De Deux,' the most somber and softest number of the night. It worked as a perfect juxtaposition to the earlier aggression, and showed that the orchestra was not only talented but quite versatile as well.
After a roughly 25 minute intermission, the ceremonies resumed with a performance of Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber. As the title suggests, this number features the string section almost exclusively, and, they once again met the song's challenge with ease.
The delicate number was performed beautifully and was received very warmly by the crowd. It was arguably the most difficult performance of the night, and the symphony played it effortlessly.
The orchestra's final number, and the true heart of the show, was George Gershwin's An American In Paris. Coming in at a whopping 23 minutes, this was not only the lengthiest number of the night but also the most complex.
This number featured the full orchestra, with lively horns mixing in and clashing with the drums. It was the perfect counter to the softness of the previous song and it had the crowd captivated.
When it was all done, the orchestra received a thunderous round of applause. And they had truly done their job.
This show was nothing short of a triumph, and it clearly showed the talent of UB's symphonic orchestra. Anyone who saw the show knows how lucky he or she is to have witnessed the immense talent of his or her peers.
E-mail: arts@ubspectrum.com
