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Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra @ Westlake High School Performing Arts Center 5/11 Fifty-five years ago when I was playing in my high school orchestra, I don’t think any of us would have considered the music chosen by Jayce Ogren for this Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra concert as playable by teen-agers.

But, play it these young musicians did – with gusto, and passion and intelligence. Energy purely crackled throughout the auditorium of the Westlake High School Performing Arts Center on Monday evening, May 11. Unfortunately, the house was perhaps only about half-full. It’s pretty hard to compete with LeBron, who was conducting his team to a victory that night in Atlanta.

Those who attended, however, were treated to terrific music-making at a very high level of proficiency. Former concertmaster Emily Nebel was the outstanding and astonishing violin soloist in a work that for many years was considered too difficult to be performed! She tossed off the Stravinsky Violin Concerto in D major as though it was ‘Twinkle, twinkle, little star.’ From memory, yet!

Gowned in a sparkly red strapless gown, Ms. Nebel was not afraid to dig into her instrument when the music required it, but at other times, she produced a beautiful lyric sound, as she confidently made her way through the piece. Although there are lovely passages in the work, it was not the composer’s intent for it to be beautiful; it was meant to be challenging. He succeeded very well. This may well be the most difficult work these young musicians have encountered so far in their short musical careers, but they displayed no fear at all. The difficult horn solo near the end was especially well-performed, as was the dialogue between the soloist and concertmaster.

Also on the program was the first public performance of Not only the fire... composed for the orchestra by its Music Director. Mr. Ogren earned a degree in composition as well as one in conducting, so this is not as surprising as it might be. He spoke briefly about the piece prior to the performance “it’s the high and low points of being 23 and in love, with all the resultant emotions.” Then, various sections or players provided short demonstrations of special sounds that one might otherwise overlook. After the demonstration, but before the performance, the young composer added “it’s important to me – but you don’t have to like it.”

But there was nothing not to like in it anywhere. After the tranquil beginning, a lovely melody begins in the cellos and moves to the violins. The are segments of dense construction and others of nice transparency, and times when both of these qualities happen at the same time! As you might expect, the percussion section is kept very busy throughout, using a number of instruments not found in every orchestral work: the wind machine, a bowed vibraphone (which produces lilting sighs) and myriad things that are clicked together or thunked or whirled (the ratchet).

Brass players breathed through their instruments producing the sound of ocean waves rolling to the shore, the tympani echoed a steady heartbeat, and a chord that expressed longing much as the famed “Tristan” chord does in Wagner’s opera – all combined to portray a vivid and loving relationship, complete with hurt, anger and joy. (The official World Premiere of this piece was performed on Saturday evening’s concert, May 16.)

Surrounding these two works were Don Juan Op. 20 by Richard Strauss, and the majestic Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 by Beethoven. You might have thought the former had been written expressly for these young musicians, considering the lush, rich performance they gave it. It is full of emotion and urgency for them to lose themselves in, and they did just that. Gorgeous solos were spread throughout: horn, oboe, harp, violin, flute and English horn, but the entire horn section deserves special commendation for their overall work. Splendid!

This was such a heavy-duty and intense concert that by time the Beethoven rolled around, it was obvious that the youngsters were beginning to tire, but still they gave it their all, up to and including the very last notes. They still produced a robust and full sound -- or light and delicate, as needed. Again, individual solos were marvelously well-performed: bassoon, cello, clarinet, flute oboe, trumpets and horns. The basses provided a sturdy foundation for the entirety.

Mr. Ogren will be moving onward with his career, but the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra will celebrate its 24th season, beginning in the fall of 2009. For details, visit the website: http://www.ClevelandOrchestra.com.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATroadrunner.com
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