Melrose Symphony Orchestra Opens 108th Season
By Ellen Putnam
Violinist Lucia Lin, cellist Owen Young, and conductor Yoichi Udagawa with the Melrose Symphony Orchestra
The Melrose Symphony Orchestra opened their 108th season with a stunning program of two late-19th century masterworks: Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 and Brahms’ Double Concerto.
The concert was dedicated to Kathy Radley, who passed away last month. She was the symphony’s longtime board president and was described in the dedication as “the radiant heart of the Melrose Symphony for 30 years.”
The orchestra played to a packed house full of all ages of classical music enthusiasts, friends, and casual fans. Some concert-goers were dressed to the nines, while others came in comfortable clothes to enjoy a great program. (This is one of the things we love most about the Melrose Symphony: everyone is welcome, and Conductor Yoichi Udagawa aims to make going to the symphony something that everyone can enjoy, whether it’s their first symphony concert or they’ve been going for fifty years.)
The concert began as Maestro Udagawa sprang onto the stage with his signature energy and enthusiasm and led the orchestra and the audience in The Star-Spangled Banner.
Then, as he has done in many previous concerts, Udagawa used the orchestra to demonstrate some of the key elements that listeners could expect in the first work. He had the cellos play one of the key motifs in the Dvořák symphony - and encourage the audience to sing along to the tune. Then, he led the orchestra in several excerpts that show how Dvořák developed the motif in different parts of the symphony. While the teaching portion of each program is usually short, we always find it to be an excellent way to introduce the audience to less well-known works and help listeners who may be less familiar with classical music know what to listen for in the piece.
The Melrose Symphony was in top form for the concert, performing even difficult passages with ease, and with every section sounding strong and rich. Even though the orchestra is all volunteers, they present polished, professional-quality performances, and last night was no exception.
Antonín Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony, which was inspired by Czech folk melodies, is less famous than his Ninth (the “New World” Symphony). Udagawa described it as “sunny, cheery, and energetic.”
The symphony started with a stormy first movement that gave the orchestra’s low strings, especially the cellos, the opportunity to shine. The serene second movement began with the strings, and showed off the orchestra’s fine dynamic control when the other sections entered in a dramatic crescendo. In the third movement, the violins led an energetic waltz, and the final movement began with the motif the orchestra had demonstrated to the audience in the cellos, which was echoed by a number of combinations of instruments before finishing with a rousing finale.
Photo from the Melrose Symphony Orchestra
The second half of the program featured Johannes Brahms’ Double Concerto. The concerto is very well-known, and for good reason - the interplay of the violin and cello soloists and the orchestra is unmatched in the classical repertoire.
The Melrose Symphony called on Boston Symphony Orchestra players Lucia Lin and Owen Young, for a thrilling conclusion to the evening’s program. The two played in perfect sync - a testament to the years they have played together in the BSO - and the texture of the concerto allowed both players to show off their remarkable skill. They played the virtuosic passages with incredible ease, and they perfectly matched the tone of their instruments - Young making the cello’s high notes sound sweet and lovely to match Lin’s tone, and Lin in turn making the violin’s lowest notes sound rich and full to match Young’s on the lower passages. The orchestra provided a strong foundation for the soloists, and shone on the sections where they played alone.
The Melrose Symphony’s next performance will be the popular Holiday Pops program on December 12th and 13th (get your tickets early - they sold out last year!); followed by the March Masterworks program offering “blockbuster favorites from the world of opera” on March 7th; then the Family Concert on March 29th; and finally, the May Pops Finale on May 2nd.
Melrose Symphony Orchestra concerts are always a highlight of the arts calendar in Melrose, and we look forward to the season ahead!
