Spring Breaks, Musical Rests: The Bard College Conservatory of Music, Sunday April 4, 2009, Seth Lachterman

Edward Elgar, In the South (“Alassio”)

, Op. 50
George Perle, Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra
Gustav Mahler, Symphony No. 4 in G Major


Melvin Chen, Piano
Dawn Upshaw, Soprano
The Bard College Conservatory Orchestra
Leon Botstein, Conductor

Alassio-300x225
Alassio, on the gulf of Genoa, where Sir Edward Elgar vacationed

A warm and radiant Sunday during Spring Break might be a perfect setting for many sinful pleasures afforded to youth full of talent and vigor. Flaunting their musical physiques while engaging in a suite of strenuous works, students of the Bard College Conservatory showed little restraint in proving their almost visceral mastery. All was done with distinction, appropriate bravura, and only a bit of swagger. The selections themselves were felicitous indulgences by their respective composers: Mahler’s Fourth is the lightest and least dour of his symphonies; Elgar’s poem is a paean to southern voluptuousness (and, as well, a tribute to the tone poems of his contemporary, Richard Strauss); and George Perle’s Concerto shows how much the waking dodecaphonic theorist could dream in Ravel in his later years.  It was a “playful” afternoon, with so much young talent to admire that the occasional boisterous interpretation seemed completely in line with the mood of the day. Celebrating the spirit in beautiful sounds was as fitting a ceremony as I could imagine on such a stunning Easter Sunday. The presence of performing genius, such as that of Melvin Chen or Dawn Upshaw, made the day even more celebratory. Leon Botstein’s direction allowed these young performers to shine and impress both as individuals performers – since the three pieces sported many solo passages – and, as well, as a polished, cohesive ensemble.

Read the full article on the Berkshire Review for the Arts!

Michael Miller