Hopkins Symphony Orchestra romances enraptured audience

Jed Gaylin and the Hopkins Symphony Orchestra dazzled the audience in Shriver with two energetic yet vastly different pieces.

The Hopkins Symphony Orchestra, conducted and directed by Jed Gaylin, performed two different shows for the price of one this past Saturday night in Shriver Hall. The first piece, Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4, featured Rachel Franklin as the guest pianist. Gaylin and Franklin returned to familiar territory, as both attended the Peabody Conservatory to earn their doctorates in musical art. The second part of the concert featured a performance of Hector Berlioz's radical departure from the period, Symphonie fantastique.

Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4 began the evening with Dr. Franklin at center stage. This endearingly quiet piece featured a revolutionary composition, especially the opening which defied the established protocol of the time. After it was written, the work was subsequently shelved for nearly 30 years after Beethoven premiered it himself. The concerto engrosses the mind with subtle yet substantial arrangements. Dr. Franklin introduced the essence of the piece simply and elegantly. She absorbed herself in the performance, her motions providing insight into the theme of the music. A particularly memorable moment was Dr. Franklin's invigorating solo that ended the first movement. Her soft, gentle sweeps carried the mind away to the grand concert halls of yore in Paris and Vienna.

The orchestra provided a very fluid and skilled accompaniment for Dr. Franklin. Dr. Gaylin's conducting enhanced the piece with beautiful execution. His expertise and experience shone through in his control of the orchestra's dynamics. The orchestra was accurate, responsive, and performed well despite the seemingly cramped conditions on stage. The stage appeared barely able to contain the members, and the addition of musicians for the second piece further cluttered the stage. There were other minor nuances about the setting, a portion of a projection screen jutted obtrusively out above stage and a stack of classroom seats were visible in the back corner. However, these minor nuances did little more than avert the eyes during intermission. The acoustics of the hall provided a nurturing environment for the performance. There was an even balance in sound and the instruments in the rear of the stage could be heard well. The impression left by the concerto serves as a reminder as to why this piece survives through the centuries.

Dr. Franklin received hearty applause and a bouquet from the audience, though not the full standing ovation she earned. The audience in attendance filled about one-third of Shriver auditorium, a rather low turn-out for the caliber of musicianship displayed. The majority of the audience was non-students, instead consisting of parents and aficionados (orchestra members are students and faculty). This is an expected, albeit unfortunate, result for a concert on Saturday night at 8 p.m. considering admission is free for Hopkins students. After a brief intermission and reorganization of the stage, the orchestra took their seats once more, and Dr. Gaylin addressed the audience.

Symphonie fantastique was universes apart from the concerto, despite being written only 22 years after the Beethoven, according to Dr. Gaylin. The piece depicts the story of a young artist's obsession over a woman. When the artist realizes his love is unrequited, he attempts to overdose on opium but instead suffers through a nasty bout of dreams with hellish overtones. Berlioz demanded that a literary program be distributed to the audience for this performance in order to follow along the theme of each movement, which Dr. Gaylin briefly summarized for the audience.

This symphony featured various contrasting themes, each exemplified by a particular instrument. The bass undertone throughout the first movement inspired the anxious, gut-wrenching feeling felt by the artist. The cellists stood out in the first movement as well, expressing the light-hearted hope often conjured in tandem with anxiety. The percussion section entered near the end of the first movement to provide thunderous heartbeats, a welcome addition to the environment. However, the most notable performance of the symphony came in the third movement. An oboe duet opened with a simple shepherd's melody that seemed ethereally beautiful played alone.

The surprising variety of the last two movements was refreshing and very entertaining. Horns, church bells and what sounded like a washboard were among the additions that elicited warm responses from the crowd. These instruments tied together well with the orchestra and provided interesting emotional correlations.

Concerning the performance, each section of the orchestra utilized impeccable technique during difficult interludes. The finale featured a conglomeration of every section achieving an impressive musical celebration. The finale may have seemed a bit too gruesome to some but remained a fitting end to the story. The symphony provided a much more vibrant experience than Beethoven's concerto, apparent from the gusto displayed by orchestra members as they played.

Overall, the orchestra performed skillfully with precise technique. Jed Gaylin's conducting enriched the experience with the fine adjustments at precisely the right times. Rachel Franklin's virtuosity shone through in her fluid piano-work. The orchestra provided a fun finale to the evening with musical excitement embodied.

The next Hopkins Symphony Orchestra concert will be on Dec. 6, 2008, featuring the works of Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. Students are encouraged to attend for an entertaining, cultured evening before the liquor starts flowing.