5/28/2003

Live Performance Report #2

I attended the spring ?Side-By-Side Concert? of the Youth Orchestra of San Antonio?s Philharmonic Orchestra the night of Sunday, May 25, 2003. Named for the collaborative second half of the program, this concert featured two relatively short works by Mozart followed by Mahler?s complete First Symphony (?Titan?) performed in conjunction with members of the San Antonio Symphony. The venue was downtown?s Lila Cockrell Theater, an approximately 2500-seat concert hall adjoining the Convention Center on the Riverwalk.

After a bit of walking around I clapping and taking photos, I was able to judge the basic acoustical parameters of the hall. All frequencies seemed to be dispersed equally, with enough reflections to feel surrounded but not echo-y. The walls sloped from top to bottom with cylindrical (or perhaps parabolic) negative space preventing typical ?flat? reflections, while still providing diffuse sound reinforcement. These effects were lessened in the rear underneath the two balconies ? where I found myself for the Mozart half ? yielding a drier and less lively sound. Thankfully, the reduction in presence was the only real flaw at these seats: direct sound from the stage was still perceived as the primary direction; the false image of sound reflecting off the smooth ~20 foot balcony-roof above did not dominate.

Of course, I have to temper my observation of differences between these rear seats and the main orchestra with the fact that the performance changed drastically. The Mahler featured twice as many players on stage, much stronger players at that. Meanwhile the piece itself featured a much broader dynamic range than either Mozart work, with an effect likely greater than my change of seats ? I don?t doubt that even in the rear under the balcony I would?ve still been able to hear the softest parts and been blown away by the loudest. I?ll try to frame my perception of further aspects independently of this minor change in acoustical environment.

Dynamic balance is challenging for any ensemble of 65 people, and the YOSA Philharmonic is no exception. The strings had no problem coming through when loud or soft, but I felt like the only other instruments with real clarity above the texture were the oboes and horns. Orchestral trumpets should have the ability to sound intense even when distant; flutes and clarinets should be audible as separate melodies when called for. Unsurprisingly, these nuances of instrumental performance came forth only when 65 additional professionals were helping out. To the students? credit, however, most of the solos in the Mahler were performed by them, and performed well. The solos in the second Mozart piece, which featured a violinist and violist, also projected well without amplification despite the usual tendency of strings to blend inconspicuously with their many peers.

Pitch presented another problem for the Philharmonic. Violin sections are usually marked by slight variations in pitch among members, creating a ?sheen? of sound that washes out from the stage quite pleasantly. Unfortunately, the differences in the young violinists? pitch often exceeded the pleasant range, nearly to the point of prompting grimaces. Luckily, the rest of the sections seemed quite secure in this regard. Nevertheless, the difference created by the presence of professionals was immediately evident the first time the Mahler came to a forte passage. Lastly, the young bass soloist?s rendition of the 3rd movement has to be mentioned: his third note was so sharp one thought the famous ?Frere Jacques? dirge might actually be in major! (The note was thankfully fixed in the next measure).

Rhythmically, the only challenge that comes to mind is the end of the first movement of the Mahler, where trumpets double-tonguing have to line up with a quirky percussion part. Given the presence of Symphony musicians this didn?t seem to present a problem (though it certainly could have); the fast notes were heard quite clearly in the room. Tempos issues, similarly, were confined to the Mahler ? Mozart overtures and concerti hold a simple Allegro throughout ? and again the superior playing and conducting overcame a few minor ragged entrances in the beginning of the 1st movement. In general the sense of ensemble generated from an unseemly lot of 130 was impressive. I?m not sure whether the kids ever got the chance to rehearse with the Symphony players beforehand, but I couldn?t resist the impression that this large combined force was the way Mahler was supposed to be played ? a credit to everyone.


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