DC Metro Theater Arts: Anne Akiko Meyers with Annapolis Symphony Orchestra
DC Metro Theater Arts
Charles Green
The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra’s continuing Masterworks Series, as part of this season’s celebration of Beethoven’s two hundred fiftieth birthday, takes the theme, “Beethoven Discovers America,” in which the Orchestra looks at Beethoven’s influence on American music, and as Music Director and Conductor Jose-Luis Novo explains, composers from Europe brought the European musical traditions to America and adapted it.
The violin concerto, Orchard in Fog, is, as Dr. Franklin commented, adventurous, charming, and inventive. Commissioned by violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, and performed for the first time in 2018, Schoenberg was inspired by a photograph hanging in his bedroom of the orchard where he and his wife married. The concerto’s three movements tell of an old man looking back on his life, remembering the youthful joy with his wife, and preparing to leave everything behind. As Maestro Novo explained, it is different from most concertos, in that the first and third movements are slow, and the second is fast, while most are the opposite. Another unique quality is the use of scordatura throughout, with Meyer’s G string tuned instead to an F while the rest of the strings maintain their normal tuning.
Meyers is an absolute joy to watch, playing the first movement meditatively and thoughtfully, with moments of powerful emotion. The Symphony blends well with her violin, a few unusual musical sounds working well with it. The second movement is all energy, with almost a pop music, heroic feel to it, drums beating along with the violins. It is thrilling.
The scordatura is used because Schoenberg wanted the piece to sound “closer to the earth.” It is again reflective and calm, with moments of emotional power. The ending slowly fades out, and there are a few beats of thoughtful silence. It is a beautiful work, delightfully unusual and complements the two other pieces.
To read the complete concert review, click here.