Cool music for hot weather: Symphony of the Mountains, 24 July 2022
One of the things I have looked forward to in our return from Ireland and Scotland is a delightful summer concert from the Symphony of the Mountains. Held outdoors at the lovely Allendale Mansion, this focused on movie music.
We opened with the “Ride of the Valkyries,” a stirring beginning with mountains in the distance and the sun starting to set. Granted, the Norse Valkyries might have been surprised to ride down into the 89 degree heat at the concert’s opening — I’m guessing they galloped back to Valhalla. The orchestra, however, played on unfazed, and I was amazed by their excellence in spite of the technical challenges of open-air performance, let alone open air that felt like the inside of a Dutch oven.
The early movie music selections took us from the Austrian Alps (The Sound of Music), to the Upper West Side (West Side Story), to a galaxy far, far away (Star Wars). It’s a good reminder of the melodic strength of movie music, and the way that the phrases can conjure a complex scene.
Guest trumpeter Christopher Coletti offered a bright, crisp 3rd movement from Haydn’s trumpet concerto. We had seen him perform with the Canadian Brass before, and his performance throughout showed range, emotion, and technical brilliance; he moved seamlessly from Haydn to the sultry Libertango of Astor Piazzolla in the first half.
After intermission, with the sun almost down, the temperature dropped to 88 (though as my phone cheerfully reminded me, it “feels like 94”). But we forgot the heat with the lovely “Beauty and the Beast” overture, followed by Ennio Morricone’s oboe theme from “The Mission.” (Cornelia’s direction found the dynamic range for an al fresco oboe perfectly as the night creatures started to chirp in the background.)
Many concertgoers fanned themselves with their programs, in rhythm with the theme from “The Magnificent Seven,” before John Williams’ playful tribute to film composers, packing 23 themes into one short piece. A tribute to the armed forces was followed by Coletti’s Dixieland-tinged “Amazing Grace,” and the evening finished with a rousing “Stars and Stripes Forever.”
Doing a pops concert right is no easy feat — you have to avoid the performance being pulled under by gimmick, while keeping things accessible and light. Cornelia’s programming was superb in this respect: here were so many familiar, wonderful pieces, but the whole was driven by musical excellence. These are memorable movie themes for a reason: they’re great music. Scott Eddlemon says that movie themes are very difficult to play, and we heard the symphony in peak form.
As a board member, I took great pleasure in the sight of such a large crowd, including many young people; I also took pleasure in the listing of sponsors who make this possible. To have a symphony of this quality in our region is a gift, particularly as affordable as the tickets are. I can’t wait for the fall season!
