Symphony rises to

challenge of Mahler

Times-Gazette

Monday, May 1, 2006

Review By Andrew Waldman

T-G Staff Writer

Listening to the dramatic transitions in Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 3 is like hearing a sonic autobiography. Mahler's mood swings manifest themselves in his unconventional transitions: each movement takes on multiple personalities. At points in the work, it feels as if Mahler is dragging the listener around, his grip tight around their wrist.

But for all the tossing and turning, the Third is one of the greatest and most challenging pieces of music in the repertoire. It's challenging on every level: the musician is the most visible proof of this, as the parts are some of the most demanding ever written. The conductor must endure this 90-minute fare and understand the dozens of transitions composed by Mahler. Even the management is challenged: the score calls for a large orchestra and a choir (the choral passages total about seven minutes of the entire symphony).

All these challenges might seem insurmountable for a small group like the Ashland Symphony Orchestra. But conductor and music director Arie Lipsky should be commended for the impressive execution of the work Saturday in the final concert of the 2005-06 season.

The first movement of the piece calls for an eight-horn entrance, but budgetary constraints on the group forced that number back to six. The loss of the horns did affect the character of the entrance, but my concerns were dashed minutes into the piece.

Mahler's original program name for the first movement, “Pan Awakens: Summer Marches In,” is an apt description. Like a parade, the characters of nature process through the hall showcasing the variety of worlds Mahler asks us to consider. In a piece with so many contrasting sections, an orchestra easily can fail dynamically, but Lipsky's interpretation was adequate. The orchestra responded well; the pianos were ominous and his fortissimos were forceful but not overpowering.

In such a long work, physical endurance and mental stamina always are serious issues, but the conductor's concentration didn't break. The musicians, save several individual errors, were completely up to the task.

Lipsky's overall interpretation of the tempo seemed adequate. I would have preferred slightly faster tempos in several spots of the Comodo movement, but I hardly saw this as a deficiency. The movement's offstage trumpet solo was well executed and helped capture the German folk legend that inspired Mahler.

The most unfortunate part of the night was the physical limitation of the concert hall. The half stage/half basketball court setup of Ashland Middle School 's McDowell Auditorium made the choral selections in the fourth and fifth movements sound washy. The solution was amplifying the singers' voices with a sound system, but the overall effect made the passages seem poorly balanced with the orchestra. Luckily, those five minutes didn't detract from the character of the performance.

Mezzo soprano Alison Tupay performed the solo vocal passages of the work precisely. Her voice did overcome the challenges of the room and projected brilliantly over the orchestra.

The final movement (Mahler originally titled it “What Love Tells Me”) introduces even more new ideas to the symphony. The slow, graceful build lasts for almost 17 minutes. Like the rest of the work, it's part of his discussion of the natural and its relation to the personal. Presented alone, this movement might seem overdramatic. But when placed within the pages of this symphony, it's an unconventional, moving ending to the work.

Lipsky's final crescendos were an excellent end to the movement and the symphony. This performance was a demonstration of the level of quality this group can offer to the Ashland community.

n Contact Andrew Waldman at 419-281-0581 ext. 243, or by e-mail at awaldman@times-gazette.com.