London Symphony treats Daytona Beach audience to an afternoon of contrasts

BEACON PHOTO/JEFF SHEPHERD
Light as a feather — Harpist Bryn Lewis and flutist Gareth Davies begin the London Symphony Orchestra concert April 26 with the delicate first movement of Mozart's Concerto for Flute and Harp in C Major.

BEACON PHOTO/JEFF SHEPHERD
The conductor — Conductor Daniel Harding directs the London Symphony Orchestra in Peabody Auditorium April 26.

BEACON PHOTO/JEFF SHEPHERD
The orchestra — The London Symphony Orchestra visits Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach April 26, for the first concert in a series of five classical concerts.

By Jeff Shepherd
BEACON COLUMNIST

posted Apr 27, 2009 - 12:43:17pm

The afternoon began as light as a feather with Bryn Lewis' harp strings reflecting perfectly the melodies of Gareth Davies' flute during the "Allegro," the first movement of Mozart's Concerto for Flute and Harp in C Major.

The piece was written for a prominent Frenchman (an accomplished amateur flutist) and his daughter (a proficient harpist). According to the program notes, Mozart's only regret was that he was never paid for the composition.

Under the direction of Daniel Harding, the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) was without brass and percussion, save for horns. The cadenzas during the second movement, "Andantino," featured only the harp and the flute, whose players executed their parts impeccably.

These parts were so quiet the drone of Peabody Auditorium's air-conditioning system was quite noticeable.

The Concerto finished with the orchestra setting a rollicking tone for the third movement, "Rondeau: Allegro." Lewis, Davies, Harding and the orchestra brought the classical master to life in fine fashion.

The afternoon finished with something completely different: Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 1 in D Major, The Titan. In three movements, the Romantic-era composition displayed wider ranges of the orchestra's dynamics and tones. The full complement of strings, winds and percussion permitted greater contrasts in both volume and expressiveness.

"It's like riding a roller coaster," Anna Shepherd of Orlando said. "There are parts very subdued; naturally you relax. Then, waiting for a change, you're startled by the quick buildup and a cymbal crash."

In the first movement, called "Slowly, and Drawn Out Like the Sound of Nature," a single tone was sustained by the high woodwinds and strings, causing a suspense that lasted minutes. The trumpets played a motif that sounded like they were much farther away than the back of the stage. The filigree provided by the clarinet sounded like it came from in front of the apron.

By the finish of the third movement, whose name is "Solemn and Measured, Without Dragging," Harding's broad strokes from before the intermission had vanished. He stabbed at the air, drawing staccato phrases from the violins. The piece peaked at the end.

The audience showed its love with a standing ovation that lasted nearly four minutes.

"I only stand up if I am carried out of myself," Nikkie Katz of Daytona Beach said.

"And this had me on my feet," she added. Katz is a veteran of several decades of symphony-concert attendance.

Sunday afternoon's concert was the second in a series of five classical concerts featuring the LSO as part of the Daytona Beach International Festival. For more information on the festival, which runs through May 2, check on the Internet at www.dbif.com.

— shepz@mpinet.net

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