While many students funneled the energy of Andover/Exeter weekend into Friday evening’s Pep Rally, a group of talented student musicians used that same spirit to deliver a lively and vibrant concert on Friday evening in Cochran Chapel.
The performance also included a Senior Concerto by violinist Angela Kim ’12.
Kim was featured as a soloist in the orchestra’s rendition of “Violin Concerto No. 3, Op. 61” by Camille Saint-Saëns.
The first movement of Kim’s concerto, “Molto Moderato E Maestoso,” alternated between a deep, intense minor melody and a gentle, peaceful major tone. The second movement, “Allegro Non Troppo,” was slightly slower than the first movement. Kim skillfully navigated between the wild and impassioned minor key and the graceful, lilting major theme.
“It was evident that she had great passion for her instrument and put in many hours of practice. The experience was ethereal. It was truly an honor to be able to play with her,” said Rosalyn Chen ’14.
“Angela was spectacular. Her playing is very skilled and expressive. I especially loved her solo in the last piece because it was lively and pretty,” said Hyunji Koo ’14.
“It was a lot of fun. Angela did a really good job,” said Vivian Garth ’15.
The program opened with Gustav Holst’s “Brook Green Suite for String Orchestra,” performed by the Corelli Orchestra. Although the ensemble was missing several musicians, Corelli still brought vitality to the light-hearted melodies. The Suite consisted of three movements.
The “Prelude – Allegretto” was a mellow piece with a simple melodic structure. “Air,” played andante, was a dialogue between the cello and bass sections and the violin and viola sections. “Dance,” the third movement, was faster and cheerful, resembling a folk-dance.
The Amadeus Orchestra then performed Paul White’s “Sinfronietta for String Orchestra, Op. 8.” Consisting of two movements, the Sinfronietta had a very contemporary sound.
In “Andante,” the slower first movement, the cello and bass sections played the same menacing low note, creating a sense of tension. The violas and violins then incorporated a higher, lonely melody. “Allegro” picked up the pace and lapsed into a wilder, dizzying melody played by the violins and violas that was then echoed by the cello and bass sections.
“To our knowledge, we are the first to perform this piece in public, which is really exciting! I thought the dissonance and unconventional chords were very interesting,” said Koo.
“I like how they do pieces that have never been performed before… it really provides a great opportunity for musicians who are not well-known but whose work deserves to be appreciated. It’s not what people expect or what many people like. But it’s always good for us to play pieces that are not commonplace,” said Maita Eyzaguirre ’14.
After a brief intermission, the Academy Chamber Orchestra played Pietro Mascagni’s “Intermezzo” from the opera “Cavalleria Rusticana.” It was a slow, romantic piece that included soaring high notes from the strings section, adding to the dramatic feel.
Chamber Orchestra then performed the “Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93.” This piece was bright and energetic with a slow melody played by the winds and carried on by the strings, which created a kind of conversation between the two sections.
The Academy Symphony Orchestra then played Otto Nicolai’s “Merry Wives of Windsor Overture.” The piece was very lively and celebratory, with high violin notes against a flowing, grand background melody.
“It was very German-like. I particularly liked the brass fanfare in some sections,” said Chen.
