Article Contributed on: 11/23/2008 8:11:32 PM
The Denver Philharmonic Orchestra programs just keep growing and growing. Their artistic scope is incredible. Last Friday night, November 21, they presented a program that was as daring as it was edifying. Why was it daring? One of the most difficult organ sonatas was performed and one of the most difficult works of symphonic literature was performed.
Dr. Joseph Galema, who is now on the Lamont School of Music Faculty - and is still the organist for the United States Air Force Academy - performed the Sonata on the 94th Psalm by the renowned organist and composer, Julius Reubke. Reubke, who had a very short life span of only 24 years (the outstanding French composer, Lili Boulanger, also lived only 24 years), was a student of Franz Liszt. This sonata was written in 1857 and contains elements of thematic transformation, which was a compositional technique developed by Liszt. It is one movement with four distinct sections, each of which is based on the sonata form. Also, very interesting, is the fact that it was written in the same year, 1857, that Liszt's huge Sonata in B minor was premiered, and Liszt's Sonata is one of the perfect examples of thematic transformation, and is also in one movement.
Reubke had a monumental keyboard technique, as well as a monumental pedal technique, and he was able to exploit the organ to its fullest. Though this piece shows much of Liszt's influence, Liszt, himself, did not have a pronounced pedal technique. Joseph Galema does have an incredible pedal technique, as well as keyboard technique, and the performance of this very difficult piece has to be a true highlight of this concert season. It simply is not heard very much. Galema has a knack of getting just the right pianissimo, so that one has to listen very carefully, but one is never disappointed by missing something. He is a remarkably sensitive performer and musician, and he gave this piece the sense of architecture that it requires. Let us hope that he performs it again in the near future, for it was truly breathtaking.
When Reubke premiered this work in Dresden in 1857, the music critic Richard Pohl (and several others in the audience), noticed that Reubke was almost overcome with exhaustion when he finished. Pohl predicted that Reubke would "not be with us long." Unfortunately, he was correct, and Julius Reubke died a few months later of tuberculosis in 1858.
The second half of the program was comprised of one work - Anton Bruckner's enormous Symphony Nr. 8 in C minor. And, straight away, I would like to state that the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra is the only community orchestra in Colorado that could successfully program this symphony. Because of his training, Horst Buchholz, has the courage and imagination to program such a work. Courage, because one has to train the orchestra to have the stamina (and Buchholz has conducted them for years). Imagination, because every conductor has a "dream piece," and he knows when to program it. Do not misunderstand me; all of the community orchestra conductors in the Metro Area are good, but when have we seen and heard anything like this? And there are other fine conductors in the Metro Area who are no longer conducting locally, except by invitation.
In addition, the Denver Philharmonic has taken some giant steps forward in the last year. There are some new members in the orchestra, but thank goodness, they still have Katherine Thayer as Concertmaster. She obviously knows how to make the orchestra work, and they respond. The orchestra plays better than ever, and they are more consistent than ever. But in the end, the conductor must take the responsibility, and Buchholz does.
Dr. Buchholz has found a way to make this almost two hour symphony really speak to the first time listener. In addition, like most superb conductors who perform this piece, even the first time, Buchholz exposed something new and beautiful for those of us who are familiar with the work. This symphony demands so much from a conductor, who must be able to share his vision with the orchestra, then allow the orchestra to share it with each other and the audience, that it becomes one monumental task for everyone except the audience. We, then, can sit back, and in the case of Friday's concert, enjoy a genuinely thrilling performance. The strings sounded very solid, and in spite of a few bobbles in the brass, they sounded very good as well. The entire orchestra was together as a unit. But in a work like the Bruckner, you have to be, or you fail. And the DPO most certainly did not fail. It was a wonderful performance, and the audience responded with a standing ovation.
I have often wondered if the average non-musician concert goer has any idea how much time it takes a conductor to study a score and prepare for the first rehearsal of a symphony the size of Buckner's Nr. 8. It takes years. It takes a profound love for the job at hand. And it takes patience and determination. The audience benefited from all of this Friday night.
We can only hope that Horst Buchholz will return to Denver on a regular basis to provide us with his inspired musicianship.
It was readily apparent as well, that the DPO has gone through some important changes. The program had many new advertisements, and some very nice (as in large) grants from local industry. The Executive Director, Russell Klein, and the new President of the Board, Valerie Clausen, who, by the way, also plays violin in the orchestra, have had a profound impact. More publicity would help.
And one other point. A few months ago, there was a large two page add in the Denver Post full of photographs of local personages: the Executive Director of the CSO, the ED of the Colorado Ballet, etc. The spread was entitled "The Movers and Shakers of Art and Culture in Denver." There was even a picture of Lanny Garrett. But guess what? There was no mention of any community orchestra. Nothing about the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra, the Littleton Symphony, the Jefferson Symphony, the Aurora Symphony, or the Lakewood Symphony. There was nothing about any community theatre group or dance group or smaller art gallery. There is no question that the organizations who use the DCPA have a lot of money, but wouldn't it be something if all of the community groups got some mention in the paper, rather than being thought of as second class citizens? The Post would be surprised at the attendance at the concerts and plays and galleries, if they would acquiesce to send a reviewer to the performance. In their own very vital and edifying way, they are movers and shakers too.