Ft. Wayne Says Farewell to Maestro
By Louisa Danielson
May 10, Embassy Theatre – The Fort Wayne Philharmonic gave its final performance with Conductor Edvard Tchivzhel, performing Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony. This monolithic work, which took a full ninety minutes was performed without intermission.
Of special note to this performance was the size of the orchestra. In addition to the regular variety of instruments, this performance included ten French horns, two piccolos, three clarinets, four trombones, two full sets of timpani, two choirs and organ. A number of musicians were placed outside the concert hall, both in the wings offstage and in the grand hallway outside, so as to add an ‘otherworldly’ effect.
Before a packed audience, the performance began as Concertmaster Hiromi Ito gave a short speech. He described to the audience an autographed photo of the orchestra that had been presented to Tchivzhel that morning at the dress rehearsal, then finished by saying “We appreciate his passionate music making over the past fifteen years, and send our best wishes with Maestro Tchivzhel.”
Once Tchivzhel walked onstage, applause thundered through the auditorium. Tchivzhel bowed many times, then turned to the orchestra.
The symphony began with tremolo shivering through the string sections. Muted horns added a mysterious timbre to the mix, topping snarling cellos and basses.
Throughout the piece, many moods wove themselves into the fabric of the symphony: tiptoeing bass and cello sounds combined with the harp only to be interrupted by blasting percussion and a tremendous musical spiral that sounded like something from the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. In the second movement, the mood was cheery, like a quick Austrian dance. A fugue meandered through the strings, only to be cut off by pulsing harps. For the third movement, the timpani jolted the movement to life, ceding reluctantly to the winding melody of the strings and woodwinds. The brass blew energy into the movement with a repetitive fanfare.
At times, the vibes from the percussionists seemed to rattle the arm rests on the chairs in the auditorium. A ghostly theme came from the musicians outside the concert hall: it was terrifically effective in giving the sensation of a call from the hereafter. As the piece powered towards its close, the drummers were literally pounding for all they were worth, over the concentrated power of the orchestra. Only during the final parts of the piece did the choir sing, sometimes accompanying the soloists. Their sound was a mellowing touch to the sometimes harsh resonance of the instruments. Members of the audience leaned forward in anticipation during the final movement as the organ warmed up. The symphony finished with blasting tremolo strings, a blossoming chord in the brass, chimes, and rumbling organ.
An instant standing ovation and cheers met the end of the work. Tchivzhel bowed, then acknowledged the orchestra, the soloists, and the choir directors. The lady soloists were ushered several times onstage, with tremendous bouquets. Tchivzhel was given a bouquet, from which he proceeded to distribute red roses to his principle string players. Perhaps it was a fitting theme, this Resurrection Symphony, for a conductor whose era has closed here in Fort Wayne but will begin again in Greenville, South Carolina.
Other Stories:
So your moving out?
A message from your student body president
Want to be successful in college?
back to top
