Great Vaughn Williams...

The program began with a quintessential piece of Americana by Aaron Copland, the suite from the ballet Appalachian Spring. The version played here was from 1945, in which the composer expanded the original 13-piece chamber orchestration to one for a larger symphony orchestra. The six-part work begins with a slow introduction designed to introduce the ballet’s characters, and it was performed with suitable restraint. The second section begins with a rapid announcement by the strings followed by an overly loud entrance by the brass. The third section, labeled Moderate, was a showcase for the flawless warmth of the woodwind section. The Quite Fast fourth section was rousing and the fifth section Still Faster had some wonderfully impressive unison playing by the violins. The Very Slow sixth section was beautifully moody and the final Calm and Flowing (known for its Simple Gifts theme) section was suitably spare, reverent and triumphant. The violin and flute duet at the work's conclusion was played magnificently, the two musicians matching each other perfectly, as if only one were playing, and almost creating the sound of a new instrument (maybe the violute or the flutolin!?). The final section had some orchestral imbalances, which may have been related to the size of the orchestra itself (neither a chamber orchestra nor a full-sized symphony ensemble).  For the complete review, click here:  https://bachtrack.com/review-vaughan-williams-francis-grosvenor-atlanta-february-2017