Beethoven’s seventh symphony is sometimes called “The Apotheosis of Dance,” for its wild, unhinged rhythms and evocative melodies. Judging from the reaction of symphony-goers and performers alike at Sunday’s Bangor Symphony Orchestra concert at the Collins Center for the Arts, it inspired a similarly wild reaction in the audience.
The BSO, led by Maestro Lucas Richman, was in fierce, spirited form Sunday with that Beethoven symphony — concertmaster Trond Saeverud seemed as though he might rocket from his chair during the final movement. The dynamic range Richman coaxed out of the orchestra was fascinating, from the pure, mysterious beauty of the second movement to the joyful power of the finale.
The yearly Beethoven performance by the BSO is always a much-anticipated occasion by patrons, and Sunday’s performance may have been the most electrifying one in recent years. Many audience members leapt to their feet upon its conclusion. Further showcasing the BSO’s dynamism, the Beethoven performance was preceded by a brief rendition of Edvard Grieg’s Holberg Suite, Op. 40 IV Air, in remembrance of longtime BSO bassist Robert Rohe, who passed away earlier this year at the age of 98.
In the first half of the concert, two Mozart pieces dominated: a spritely playing of his overture for the opera “Don Giovanni,” and his Piano Concerto No. 12 in A Major, featuring soloist Daniel Shapiro. Shapiro — who Richman said he met more than 30 years ago, when he was a teenaged musician at Tanglewood — is a master interpreter of Mozart. Though according to his bio he often tends more towards 19th century composers in regular performance, his playing of Mozart is at once no-frills and mesmerizing, burnishing off baroque frills to reveal the melodic heart. Eschewing the prettiness and technicality with which Mozart is often played, Shapiro instead brought great feeling and ringing, singing beauty to his performance.
Shapiro also was asked for an encore, and he responded by with a stunning interpretation of Schubert’s Impromptu No. 2 in A flat major, Opus 142.
Up next in the BSO season is the annual performance of “The Nutcracker” with the Robinson Ballet, with three performances Dec. 20-21 at the Collins Center for the Arts. In the Masterworks series, renowned violinist Midori will play Schumann’s Violin Concerto in D minor on Feb. 1, 2015, along with two pieces from Sibelius. For more information, visit bangorsymphony.org.
