One or Two Things About the Fifth

There were several important things that came through loud and clear at last Sunday’s UT Symphony performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor and Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture.

The first of these is how critical, if not absolutely essential, a fearless interpretation of dynamics is to performances of Beethoven. Too often, Beethoven symphonies just end up sounding ponderous and heavy without the presence of a rational, calming influence. Conductor James Fellenbaum had his orchestra moving brilliantly with the ebb and flow of the symphony in ways that were, at times, surprising in their subtlety, and then, refreshing in their strength. I was particularly impressed with how Fellenbaum had not sacrificed demanding dynamic shifts or subtlety of details just for the sake of getting through a first-of-the-year concert. An example of this detail would be the solid performance from the woodwinds who constantly surprised me with their attention to nuances of tone color. Volume can mask a lot of things, but rapid dynamic shifts—fortissimo to piano, for example—can just as quickly reveal them. The violins in the Beethoven may have learned a valuable lesson in this regard by the fourth movement. The few bobbles aside, the orchestra really showed this listener their definite professional abilities.

Secondly, I was impressed at how the passion and enthusiasm of an excellent conductor and teacher can be absorbed by orchestra members who are being motivated to achieve more than just adequacy. And in an orchestra that has the natural year-to-year personnel turnover issue of a university ensemble, this is even more meaningful.

The UT Symphony’s next concert will be Sunday, October 19, and will feature guest violinist Alexander Kerr in a performance of the Beethoven Violin Concerto. Tchaikovsky’s Capriccio Italien is also on the program.