Lasting Impressions by Karolina Hopper
Orchestra Wows with ‘Christmas Concerto’
Fenimore Chamber Orchestra’s highly anticipated concert return proved to be a rare holiday treat for the capacity audience at Christ Church Episcopal in Cooperstown on December 2. In a nod to performance practice of the period in which the works were composed, the orchestra stood for the first half of the concert and was conducted from the harpsichord, played masterfully by Maestro Maciej Żółtowski.
Corelli’s much-loved Concerto in G Minor was named “Christmas Concerto” by the composer himself. The orchestra played with their trademark full-bodied sound, and dispatched devilish scale work effortlessly and beautifully. The duet passages between Concertmaster Uli Speth and Principal Second Violin Debra Devine were rendered with supple, flawless beauty.
Mezzo-soprano Joanna Porackova has performed on concert and opera stages all over the world. Her voice is rich, full, and expressive, and her rendition of two arias from Handel’s “Messiah” were enthusiastically received. Porackova sang the music effortlessly and tossed off the florid bits like child‘s play. Ottorino Respighi’s concert rarity “Il Tramonto,” based on Percy Shelley’s “The Sunset,” was preceded by a reading of the poem by Thomas Wolf, chair of FCO’s Governing Board. One could have heard a pin drop in Christ Church during Wolf’s very moving recitation. In the silence that followed, the strings began their magic. Porackova, singing from memory and unleashing a torrent of sound, revealed why she is so revered on the concert and opera stages of the world. Maestro Żółtowski and the orchestra deftly accompanied Porackova, allowing her to express the text fully, both accompanying and responding to her all along the way. Their truly astonishing performance was met with a rare standing ovation in the middle of the second half of the concert.
The lively “Serenade for Strings” by Austrian composer Robert Fuchs concluded the printed portion of the concert. Remembered primarily as the teacher of several prominent composers, including Mahler, Fuchs composed many delightful works for orchestra. “Serenade for Strings” is a rambunctious work ending with a brilliant “Allegro con fuoco, alla Zingarese.” Once again, the orchestra played with marvelous precision and zeal, showing both by their musicianship and the smiling glances among themselves how very much they enjoy their work together as an ensemble.
An encore of Christmas carols arranged by Leroy Anderson brought the afternoon to a jolly close. The holiday season certainly danced in with this one!
Karolina Hopper is a regular contributor to “The Freeman’s Journal.”