Reviewer: Connor S. Rousseau
Venue: The Temple Theatre
Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra at the Temple Theatre in Saginaw Michigan
Last December I got my hands on the Meta Quest 3, a state-of-the-art virtual reality headset that immerses you in a world of imagination, creativity, and skill. As I browsed the vast selection of games and apps, a friend recommended one called Maestro. In this game, you take the conductor’s stand and wield a baton as an eager orchestra awaits your command. One of the pieces of music in this game is Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. Gamers can conduct four minutes from this lengthy piece and immerse themselves in the joy of classical music. I then experienced the piece in its entirety at the Temple Theatre Saturday night, and the immersion was even deeper.
Symphonie Fantastique is a five-movement symphony that takes the audience through a story that requires a pensive, open mind. Berlioz has a detailed narrative that explains many of his musical decisions with the instruments and the diversity of dynamics throughout the five movements. It is a work that requires patience and contemplation in its slower sections, but Berlioz finishes powerfully with an excited, aggressive conclusion in the fifth movement, Sabbath Night’s Dream. The entire piece works up to an energetic finish as it repeats, in a dark fashion, its core melody. All instruments coalesce and lead up to a loud finish that lingers in the ears after the conductor and his orchestra take their bow. The symphony features an impressive list of instruments, including two elegant harps, a bombastic timpani, and even a contrabassoon. The percussion seemed to echo an ominous thunderclap in the work’s most tense moments, and while each of the instruments in the orchestra had its unique purpose in different movements, they united to form a blended sound of fire and fury in the symphony’s final moments.
Berlioz was not the only composer featured during the concert, however. Richard Wagner’s Rienzi Overture, one of my favorite pieces, kicked off the concert, and Wagner’s triumphant style dominated the auditorium. The orchestra took it slower than I am used to hearing it, but this allowed a greater appreciation for each carefully crafted measure. The second work, Harp Concerto, Op. 25 by Alberto Ginastera, featured the talented harpist Jaymee Haefner. She has a robust resume of performances and musical involvements, and she has shared her talents on an international stage. Ginastera’s concerto highlighted the harp in several dedicated moments, and Haefner’s dexterous fingers commanded respect.
All in all, the concert showcased a diversity of music, powerful themes, high-energy moments, and soft segments for calm contemplation. It had something for people of all classical music tastes to appreciate and enjoy.