Conductor – Tania Miller, Guitar – Pablo Sainz Villegas
Mozart – Symphony No. 35 in D Major, K.385, Haffner
Rodrigo – Concierto de Aranjuez
Schumann – Symphony No.2 in C Major, Op.61
VSO night opened with Mozart “Symphony No. 35 in D Major, K. 385, Haffner”. This symphony is named after Sigismund Haffner, a son of the Salzburg’s former Burgomaster. Mozart created this piece for a celebration, held in Salzburg, for Haffner’s advancement to the nobility. As soon the first movement started, the whole tone of the orchestra played passionately was resonated in the concert hall. One interesting thing I felt was all the instruments seemed to play with same tone in earlier part of this movement; homophonic texture. The first movement seemed to overwhelm the audience with its powerful them. Second movement was felt rather elegant, delicate, and comfortable compared to the first movement. In this movement, I also drew an image as if people are gathering in a beautiful hall and chatting lightly. The atmosphere of the third movement was quite similar to the second movement as third movement “Menuetto” was being played with a minuet-specific bright feeling. It was like people enjoying a party in the court without any worries. The fourth movement, overall, was as powerful as the first but the whole part, mainly string instruments, played much faster.
Next piece was Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez”, the guitar concerto, which I fell in love after hearing this today. The guest performer Pablo Sainz Villegas from La Rioja, Spain came up to the stage to explain the background of the piece with the conductor Tania Miller. Since this concert was “musically speaking” Villegas also shared his musical experience and background such as how he first came across the guitar as a child in Spanish culture, what kind of music he loves, et cetera. It was very meaningful and interesting time because I was able to hear his thoughts about music and guitar, and the detailed background explanation of the Concierto de Ajanjuez. The composer, Rodrigo had become a blind from the age of three and composed this piece when he was 38. Villegas explained that Rodrigo’s idea when he created this piece was the inspiration from the majestic views of the palace of Aranjues, a summer holiday residence for a Spanish king of eighteenth century. It was incredible how someone who couldn’t even see music or musical instruments could create such a beautiful piece. In the first movement, there was full of vitality created from arpeggio of guitar. As Rodrigo’s expression, “the flowers and birds’ song and fountain in the palace garden”, was drawn in this movement, and indeed I was so fulfilled with the vividness of the beautiful garden. The second movement, personally, was such a great masterpiece. In contrast to the brightness and vividness of the first, the second had full of sadness and faintness. Unexpectedly, I imagined an old man recalled his happy past, and at the same time the final scene of the movie Godfather with a famous piece “Cavalleria Rusticana” was pictured in my mind. Mainly the wind instruments in orchestra and guitar solo were alternately played in the second, and the composer described this part as “the conversation with English horn, oboe, horn and guitar”. The intense warmth and lyricism in the second movement were still deeply entrenched in my mind. This atmosphere suddenly changed into brightness the third movement which surprised me again. Within a relatively short movement, it was like an image of people dancing in a cheerful and upbeat manner, as if it would blow away all the sad vibes of the past.
After this wonderful piece was over, Villegas, who appeared for the encore again with enthusiastic applause from the audience, spoke of his feelings, gratitude, and explanation of two guitar solo pieces for encore. Both were composed by Fransisco Tarrega, and the first one was “Gran Jota de Concierto”. Villegas explained that it is often played during the wine harvest season in his hometown, La Rioja where a well-known region for grapes and wineries. It was passionate, cheerful and comfortable melody. The marching-like dull sound in the latter half, when plucking the strings in arpeggione manner while holding them with another hand, was an amazing technique. The last encore piece was “Recuerdos de la Alhambra”, one of the most famous pieces of guitar music. Within tremolo style of guitar, the mystique and the sorrow lyrical melodies was such a gorgeous gem of this night.
The ending of night was Schumann’s “Symphony No. 2”. Prior the performance, the conductor added a brief explanation of this piece as “an emotional arc from conflict to victory” since Schumann had a very difficult time, both physically and mentally as his health deteriorated. Therefore, each movement, especially the first and the second started with a calm and melancholic melody then it turned out to racing-like intense and fast rhythm to create a different atmosphere. The third movement exceptionally made melancholic mood as Schumann shows his despair, anguish and deep sorrow. In the fourth movement, all the notes started intense and majestic, as if to shake every sorrow off. It was like a lied that sang hope. The last part, filled with magnificent timpani and rich chords of orchestra, seemed to shout that Schumann had finally overcome everything and won.
Since I have started this concert journey for the music appreciation journal, I have been looking something interesting and unfamiliar program to broaden my musical experiences. In the meantime, the information of this concert, which I saw on the VSO website, stood at a glance. I really love to play guitar and have looked for many guitar pieces online, but it was very unfamiliar for me that guitar is collaborating with orchestra as the form of concerto. The concert of this night with VSO and conductor Tania Miller, and guitarist Pablo Villegas was memorable, stunning and fabulous.