Critics Corner

Orchestra Setting A Spirited New Tradition
By KURT LOFT
© The Tampa Tribune
Published: Dec 18, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG - Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony often finds itself in the ceremony of great social events, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall or the signing of peace treaties.

Beethoven, though, would have scowled at excluding his last symphony from the dialogue where it belongs - as a message of hope and joy for the common man and woman.

The Florida Orchestra and Master Chorale of Tampa Bay want to bring that message home by presenting annual performances of the Ninth, a holiday option to the ubiquitous "Messiah." Judging from the packed house Saturday night at Mahaffey Theater, the idea just might work.

Under the baton of Stefan Sanderling, about 200 musicians crammed the stage for the second of three concerts, generating plenty of spirit, eloquence and thunder. The orchestra seemed to wander in getting this 74-minute masterpiece airborne, but soon found a center of harmonic tension and ran with it in the opening movement.

The orchestra grappled with each twisting key change and thematic shift, touched off an engaging fugue and closed with a series of full-throttled fortissimos. John Bannon's assertive timpani strokes set the tone for the scherzo, and woodwinds and strings propelled the music forward in a dance of swirling rhythms. Concertmaster Jeffrey Multer at times was so animated he nearly flew off his chair.

The fulcrum of the symphony is the slow movement, one of Beethoven's most sublime creations, and after the chorus members arrived to take their seats, Sanderling fashioned the broad main theme into a lyrical river of sound that made some listeners almost forget where they were.

The Master Chorale, well prepared by its artistic director, Richard Zielinski, made a statement in the finale with warm, integrated harmonies, moving with ease through the gigantic variations. A high point of the night was impressive high register passages by sopranos and altos. Many fine moments came from the four soloists: soprano Jessica Jones, mezzo Nancy Maultsby, tenor Garrett Sorenson and bass Robert Pomakov.

The orchestra might want to take a hard look at its box office, which was a model of inefficiency Saturday. Dozens of patrons had to wait until the end of the first movement to take their seats. Cell phones also continue to be a problem: During a quiet passage midway through the symphony, someone actually answered a call with a loud "hello."

The final performance is tonight at 8 at Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater; (727) 791-7400.

Reporter Kurt Loft can be reached at (813) 259-7570 or kloft@tampatrib.com



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