Violinist Aaron Westman

TWO ORCHESTRAS AND FIVE DISPARATE WORKS IN WEILL HALL

In a final concert Nov. 19 in the California Festival, the Santa Rosa Symphony Young People’s Chamber Orchestra (YPCO) and the Sonoma State University Orchestra (SSU) performed five sharply contrasting works before an audience of 250 in Weill Hall.

The YPCO string ensemble, with players ranging in age from about 12 to 18, play without a conductor, and were led from the viola section by director/violist Aaron Westman, who also led later works by Michael Abels and Stravinsky. Violinist Henry Miller co-led Handel and Horvath works compositions, and Alexendar Kahn conducted the formidable SSU Orchestra.

The evening’s first work, Handel’s Overture to Agrippina, nicely demonstrated the theatric power, counterpoint and rhythmic drive of that master’s Baroque writing, and was smoothly played by the YPCO, and included tense dramatic pauses near the end. It was played with only violins, violas and cellos.

Following for the YPCO was Márton Leconte Horvath’s Arcus for String Orchestra. The work from 2019 was in a minimalist style, drawing from the same well of tonal inspiration as Bártok and Kodaly. It came across as a deeply felt meditation that startied softly, with a passionate middle section, and returned to the mysterious beginning mood punctuated by rhythmic col legno rhythms (tapping on strings with the stick of the bow) and tremolo violins. Sonoma State University (SSU) bassist Leif Dering ably assisted.

The University Orchestra then joined the YPCO for Bloch’s Concerto Grosso No. 2. Though less well known than his first Concerto Grosso, being a bit darker and more serious, it deserves more frequent hearing. The large ensemble’s performance of this wonderful example of string writing created a big, rich sound that enveloped the listener. Composing the string quartet were Anna Washburn, Tammie Dyer, Aaron Westman, and Alexa Haynes-Pilon (cello) that played the concertino parts.

The two ensembles stayed together for the fourth piece, Michael Abels’ Dances and Delights, a mixture of traditional classical forms and folk music spirit composed in 2010. The string quartet again played solos against the full string ensemble, displaying virtuosic flash, sounding like what you’d get if the great violinist Paganini had grown up in South Carolina. The merged ensembles brought this off with exciting verve. The first and second violinists in the quartet changed places for this piece. Alexander Kahn conducted this exciting composition and also the concert ending Stravinsky Pulcinella Suite.

A concert version of the ballet from 1920, the Suite is based on material attributed to Pergolesi and suggested by the Russian impresario Diaghilev. This suite has the buoyant energy and detachment of the baroque, with the addition of Stravinsky’s unique, sometimes quirky touches. The writing alternates between small ensemble work with solos and full chamber orchestra sounds, like the previous concerto grosso but adding brass and winds.

The principal leader of every section got at least a little time to show off some solo playing: oboist Elias Ramos, Cooper Ysais (bassoon), Fench horn Jason Whitney, flautist Sungdu Bae, Hunter Richardson (trombone), bassist Leif Dering and several solos from concertmaster Miranda Ronan. The SSU orchestra brought off convincingly this perky set of contrasting movements.