Call it Mozart’s magic.
That’s not a reference to his opera, “The Magic Flute,” but a response to the man’s popularity. Everyone knows Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, the musical genius immortalized in major keys who hit a minor one upon his premature death at 35. Even if the names of each composition escape the listener, the sound, the harmony and the tempo echo familiar hymns from past piano and violin lessons.
Hearing Mozart performed and done justice by a full-piece orchestra equates to a divine experience. Those that gathered came to hear what they know will take them away to temporary musical intoxication and then bring them back to the vacuum of realism. The Savannah Philharmonic delivered such an experience Saturday evening at the Lucas Theater with Mozart’s epic “Symphony No. 40” and “Requiem”
What was supposed to be a Friday and Saturday evening affair turned into a one-night-only for Mozart’s Requiem due to the offset of mid-October events caused by Hurricane Matthew.
The performance adopted an unofficial, relevant theme: a community coming together to embrace the arts in spite of uncontrollable setbacks. Because Mozart challenges even the most well-practiced musicians, this parallel-performance motif worked to conductor Peter Shannon’s advantage through Saturday’s nearly two-hour set.
Shannon, the Artistic Director and Conductor for the Philharmonic, spared no energy commanding his orchestra through Symphony No. 40 and its G minor, a rare key for any of Mozart’s symphonies.
Arranged in four parts – Allegro molto, Andante, Menuetto: Allegretto, and Allegro assai – and exactly 35 minutes in length, No. 40 exists in two versions, both with and without clarinets. The difference with two clarinets, as demonstrated by the Philharmonic’s Kristen Spiridon and Taylor Massey, is the depth of the winds and brass sections, particularly in the Molto allegro’s well-known opening theme.
The evening’s theme best manifested in the conflict between Allegro assai’s triumphant inflection and darker movements. This finale flirts with the opening theme from Molto allegro before succumbing to its minor key, a reflection of reality waiting for the audience after the house lights came up and all performers bowed.
Surprisingly, the house lights remained turned on through the “Requiem” following the intermission. The Philharmonic generously included the text of the “Requiem” in the event’s programs, which filled two pages with the original and English translations.
The continued illumination of the house lights intended to help audience members follow along with the Philharmonic Chorus, boldly led by Chorusmaster Dr. Monica Harper Dekle. “Requiem,” like “Symphony No. 40,” is an ambitious arrangement structured in fourteen movements.
Section leaders Perri Baxter (soprano), Gretchen Ernest (alto), James Spano (tenor), and David Frothingham (bass) performed at the front of the stage while Shannon continued his conductor’s workout.
Like any musical genre’s fanbase, the art lives and breathes in performance, whether participating in or witnessing it. Those in attendance at the Lucas Saturday night wanted relaxation, so they surrendered to the orchestra, Shannon, and the choir who demonstrated a small amount of musical magic brought about through the demands of Mozart.
Written by Emilie Kefalas.
