A young musician’s take on the concert at Bethel Woods

By HANNAH ROSS

As a young, aspiring musician, the privilege of hearing the New York Philharmonic in concert here in Sullivan County is a memory I will long treasure.

Accustomed as I am to traveling into New York City weekly to study at The Manhattan School of Music, it was a delight to partake of a program that offered a wide selection of music, ranging from the romantic era to the contemporary, and all within minutes of my home. Clearly, the evening’s repertoire was designed to have something for everyone.

The orchestra started off with a great rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, in which all the musicians stood to play (except those who couldn’t, like the celli). It was quite a wonderful tribute to the Fourth of July.

The first piece listed on the program was George Gershwin’s “Strike Up the Band.” It is always good for a program to start with an upbeat, lively piece, and that was indeed the effect of “Strike Up the Band.”

The next piece was a nice contrast. I had never heard of Alexander Borodin until I saw his name on the program. The orchestra played the Polovtsian Dances from Borodin’s opera, “Prince Igor.” Each little movement of the dances had its own unique qualities, yet all of them were tied together with folk sources. What with little ornamentations (especially in the percussion department with cute little bell parts), the calm beauty of harmonics in the violins, powerful sections and the snare drum carrying everything along, this piece was a fantastic treat for all.

The last piece before the intermission was spectacular. Pianist Alexander Kobrin, who was called in on short notice due to the illness of scheduled performer Lang Lang, played Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for Piano and Orchestra.” I must admit that I have never been a big fan of Rachmaninoff’s compositions, but Kobrin’s performance changed my mind. The piece offered many nuances in the calm parts, and extremely difficult passages in the fast parts, filled with arpeggios and chords. Music of the 20th century is particularly challenging, due to daunting fast passages that only those with great technique can master, and fiery passion that only those mature enough in the mind can accomplish.

The orchestra started the second half with more selections from the 20th century. They were joined by the beautiful singing sensation Audra McDonald, who sang works by George Gershwin, Richard Rodgers, Burton Lane, Stephen Sondheim and Frank Loesser. McDonald’s rich, passionate voice soared out above the orchestra in soulful cries.

Having played in quite a few orchestras, I am well aware of the difficulty of playing with a soloist, not to mention the inordinate amount of time it takes to learn one’s music and be able to play along with members of your own section and others. Members of the orchestra have to be attentive to the conductor at all times, and the conductor must be in sync with the soloist, so as to direct the orchestra where to slow down, speed up, or take a little time. The New York Philharmonic and Audra McDonald did a flawless job of working together.

New York Philharmonic conductor Bramwell Tovey established a great rapport with the audience, making witty remarks, inciting them to do “the wave,” and making even those who were sitting far back on the lawn feel included.

The last (and most famous) piece on the program was Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture.” A lot of the themes in this piece are well known, including the French National Anthem, “Le Marseillaise.” The piece begins with a beautiful church hymn, played by the violas and the celli, and is followed by more excitement. Towards the end of the piece, cannon shots filled the air with noise and smoke. The tension in the final chord of the overture was broken by the loud applause of the audience, as they stood to show their appreciation to the orchestra.

Two encores followed the program. The first was “Purple Haze,” by Jimi Hendrix, a fitting piece to play at the site of the original Woodstock concert. “Stars and Stripes Forever” was a fitting coda to celebrate the Fourth of July weekend. The eclectic mix of music over the course of the evening, soaring with crystal clarity through the state- of-the-art sound system, enhanced by close ups of performing artists on two huge video screens, made the performance unforgettable.