Symphony Closer Nearly Celestial

Minor distractions stop soloist Salerno-Sonnenberg just short of perfection

May 14 , 2007

By Diane Peterson
The Press Democrat, page B3

If the stars had been aligned, there might have been a harmonic convergence. As fate would have it, the performance fell a few degrees short of celestial, knocked out of alignment by unforeseen forces.

The entire concert felt somewhat muted, possibly due to the warm temperature of the hall. The orchestra was so overheated that many of the men doffed their jackets after intermission out of self-preservation.

Meanwhile, violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, who had flown in the night before, was under the weather with a sore throat. In the midst of performing Tchaikovsky's challenging Violin Concerto before intermission, she surreptitiously sprayed her throat several times to keep the pain at bay.

Still, Salerno-Sonnenberg proved herself a consummate professional, blazing through the first movement with such vibrancy and verve that the audience not only applauded, but gave her a standing ovation—in the middle of the piece.

Dressed in simple silk pants and jacket, the 47-year-old violinist played the athletic concerto like a prizefighter, nimbly shifting her weight from foot to foot and punching out the climactic arpeggios.

In the oh-so-Russian slow movement, Salerno-Sonnenberg unleashed the entire Romantic arsenal: fat, juicy vibrato, huge dynamic contrasts and lots of rubato tempo changes.

The blazing finale of the Tchaikovsky came off without a hitch, its lyrical melodies and pyrotechnics tossed off with unerring precision by the veteran violinist.

With the help of Music Director Bruno Ferrandis, the orchestra provided a sensitive accompaniment, playing under her pianissimos while providing expressive solos.

Ever the trooper, Salerno-Sonnenberg came back onstage several times to acknowledge the audience’s standing ovation, then left the hall during intermission to nurse her throat.

The second half of the concert was devoted to Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances, a three-part suite that waltzes and stomps its way through plangent melodies and a raucous riot of sound.

This Russian masterpiece offers something for everyone: lush strings and harp, acerbic brass and punchy percussion, from tambourine to church bells. There's even an alto sax solo, played sinuously by Mark Wardlaw. Under Ferrandis, the orchestra executed each dance with taut, rhythmic precision.

The concert opened with "Sala" (Symphonic Elegy for Orchestra) by Latvian composer Peteris Vasks, commissioned by Kathryn Gould’s Magnum Opus project.

At turns pastoral and strident, the piece provided a rhythmic land mine for the orchestra. There were a few entrances that sounded a bit rough, but otherwise, Ferrandis and the orchestra did a stellar job.

The Santa Rosa Symphony will repeat the Saturday program at 8 tonight at the Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa. Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg is scheduled to appear. $27-$49.

© 2007- The Press Democrat