Naumburg Orchestral Concerts (8/2/22)

 East Coast Chamber Orchestra (ECCO)

Sonata di Chiesa, (1992) – Adolphus Hailstork, (1941–)
1. Exaltation; 2. O Great Mystery; 3. Adoration; 4. Jubilation; 5. O Lamb of God; 6. Grant Us Thy Peace; 7. Exaltation

Peruvian Renaissance Suite – Maureen Nelson, arr.
1. “La Moresca” by Pedro Guerrero (b. 1520, Spain); 2. “Mille Regretz” by Josquin des Prez (1450–1521, France); 3. “Follia: A Chacua” by Anonymous (Peru)

String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D 810, ‘Death and the Maiden’, (1824) – Franz Schubert
1. Allegro; 2. Andante con moto; 3. Scherzo Allegro molto; 4. Presto

ECCO is a group that uses an ‘everyperson’ approach. Each member can be a leader at some point; each member has an equal voice. It is, indeed a chamber orchestra – here, there were seven violins, three violas, three cellos, and one bass. On another note, I was happy to hear that Mr. Hailstork is on the faculty of Old Dominion University, my alma mater. This was the final concert of the 117th season of the Naumburg Orchestral Concerts. No, I have not attended every one of the 117 years. 

The first piece was listed as seven movements but they were not laid out well enough for me to make sense of them, so I'll just go with stream of consciousness reactions. The opening was fairly rich and full, bright and upbeat. A more modern section followed that was calmer and softer. Next was a more up-tempo, pleasant section and then one that was slow and stately, in a subdued fashion. The sixth, which I believe was Grant Us Thy Peace, was appropriately peaceful. The entire piece wandered a bit and was a little hard to follow but relatively easy on the ears, ending with a reprise of the earlier richer, fuller sound. 

The first piece of the Suite that was next was rhythmic and dance like, with one of the cellists adding percussion with a sort of tambourine stick that added a touch of fun. The second piece was slower and, in a sense, somber. But also very pleasant. The third opened with insistent, but not harsh, rhythms. A section followed that was more like a dance—jaunty came to mind. And it was lots of fun. 

The Schubert was interesting, since the string quartet was embellished by adding a bass part courtesy of Gustav Mahler. With four violins, three violas, three cellos, and the aforementioned bass, a string quartet was turned into a piece for chamber orchestra. The first movement had a brief dramatic opening, then a quiet section, rhythmic exposition next, and a series of pleasant themes, even though they seemed slightly subdued due to the minor key setting. Interestingly, there were a couple of phrases that turned out to be false endings; then the actual ending was dramatic yet subdued. The second movement had a hauntingly beautiful opening that set the tone for the entire movement, though it included a bubbly middle section, inspiring hopefulness and yearning. A rather solid section followed before ending with a mix of strength and quietude. The third movement was lively yet solid, with touches of drama, then a lovely lyrical section. It finished with a fuller sound and a little more drama. The final movement was brisk but not frivolous, full but with seriousness. Even in its lighter sections, seriousness prevailed.

Minor quibbles, though. Both the online program and the hard copy program listed the first composer as Adolph Adolphus Hailstork. The printed program had a wrong title for the first song in the Peruvian Suite; it was correct in the online program. The WQXR host was Eliott Forrest (correct online) and not Jeff Spurgeon (hard copy program). As I said, minor. Will they keep me from returning next season? Definitely not!

ConcertMeister