Review of last VSO concert

The perhaps sounds a bit apocalyptic (perhaps appropriately given that I have been reading a fair bit of apocalyptic fiction lately), but I really only mean that I am probably not going to be attending any more of their concerts, given that we are moving in only 3 more weeks.  Stranger things have happened, and TransLink might bring me back for an extended trip, but I am not expecting it.  Of all the cultural things in Vancouver, I'll probably miss the VSO the most.  While Bard on the Beach is fun, there is no question that Stratford is a huge upgrade in that department.  I had a good time at the Fringe Fest, but Toronto has one that is fairly comparable.  Same thing with the International Film Fest and the Jazz Fest, with the added benefit that it will actually be easier for me to get to these places, as they won't be tucked away on a hard-to-get-to place like Granville Island.

Obviously, Toronto also has a good symphony, which is probably a bit more technically proficient than the VSO.  However, I am not at all crazy about Roy Thompson Hall.  The Orpheum is just such a nice place to go and see a concert, although does struggle when there is a completely sold out house (last night and then some of the Yefim Bronfman concerts when he was doing the Beethoven piano concerto cycle).  I assume that the Yo-Yo Ma concert will be sold out (and incidentally it turns out Ma is doing a similar concert in Toronto, so I really had better order tickets soon).  I guess my general feeling is that the VSO punches above its weight, and the TSO isn't quite as good as it ought to be.  That feeling may change over time, and who knows what will happen in a few years after Bramwell Tovey retires for good.  (I'm actually feeling a bit sentimental and a little bit sorry that I am not seeing an intimate concert today (just too busy) where Tovey and Dale Barldrop and a few others are going to pay Smetana's String Quartet #1 and a piano piece by Sarasate.  However, it turns out that I actually saw the Pacific Rim String Quartet do this Smetana String Quartet a couple of years back.)

Anyway, this was essentially the final concert of the season, although they repeat the same program on Monday.  Some general program notes are here.

I thought it was a very good concert. It kicked off with the Passacaglia from Britten's Peter Grimes.  I believe there is a different concert version that includes 4 Sea Songs as well, but I think they cut those, knowing that the concert would run long, as indeed it did.  The Passacaglia really features the cellos and I was sitting near them, so that was good.  However, I often find myself drifting off in the first half of concerts.  I have lived most of my life in a state of extreme sleep deprivation, and being in a darkened hall with mellow music is pretty deadly.  I often kind of drift in and out.  That was definitely the case with the Elgar Violin Concerto, though I would occasionally pinch my fingers and such to try to stay awake. I did manage to keep alert for the final movement.  The Elgar was a nice piece, though probably not one I would make a point of seeking out to see again.

James Ehnes got a huge standing ovation, and eventually returned for an encore.  (Encores, even for featured soloists, are actually fairly rare in North America compared to Europe.  I think I've only seen four or so in Vancouver and almost none in Chicago after years of concert going.  Here I'm only talking about for classical concerts.)  He did a very lovely piece by Bach, and I was able to stay awake through that.

After splashing water on my face at the intermission, I returned to my seat.  A few people here and there had left at intermission, but most stayed. They were in for a treat.  Tovey programmed two really up-tempo energizing pieces.  Berlioz's Roman Carnival and then Respighi's Pines of Rome.  I can't believe how big Tovey built up the final movement of Pines of Rome.  It was incredible, and I will definitely try to see this live another time.  It was terrific.  Most amusing was that as the musicians were taking their final bows, I saw that James Ehnes had joined them to play in Pines of Rome (and probably Roman Carnival, since there was almost no changeover between these pieces).  How cool is that!  They made a bit of a big deal a year ago when Dale Barltrop did the demanding Britten Violin Concerto and then joined the back row of violins for Elgar's Engima Variations.*  But Dale is a mainstay of the VSO and would have time to rehearse the Elgar.  I'm certainly not aware of any other time that a featured soloist has gone back into the ranks for the second half of the concert, so huge respect to James Ehnes.  It was a very fitting (and rousing) last concert of the season. I'm glad I was along for the ride.

While I am definitely more of a "program guy" than a ticket stub sort of guy, I did hang onto this one.

* I was also at that concert incidentally with the same general issue of needing to fight to stay awake to hear the amazing music.  Then as now, I generally do a bit better in the second half of concerts, though Britten's Violin Concerto isn't quite as "relaxing" as Elgar's, so that also helped.