C.R. symphony makes triumphant return Saturday


Group changes name to Orchestra Iowa
By Diana Nollen

The Gazette
 

CEDAR RAPIDS — All the elements converged Saturday night to create a perfect concert on a perfect evening in a perfect setting.
 

CONCERT REVIEW
  The Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra launched its 87th season on the road, presenting its “Ode to Joy” concert on the front lawn at Brucemore mansion, 2160 Linden Dr. SE. In his welcoming remarks, Brucemore Executive Director Jim Kern noted that the symphony , displaced from the Paramount Theatre by the June floods, was moving “from one historic home to another historic home.” And conductor Timothy Hankewich, updating the audience on the symphony ’s efforts to move forward, announced that from here on out, the ensemble will be known as Orchestra Iowa. He said the new name reflects the symphony ’s extended reach into the state, with upcoming performances in Iowa City and Des Moines and the fundraising “Follies” relocating next summer to Cedar Falls.
 

“We are extending an olive branch into the region, the Corridor and beyond,” Hankewich said, as the symphony strives to be “a great ambassador of the city ... to the nation in appeals” for flood recovery aid to the state. “We refuse to let Cedar Rapids be forgotten.” The symphony ’s first concert will not be forgotten by the masses gathered in lawn chairs and blankets, stretching from the impressive stage up the sweeping hill to the mansion. An official crowd count wasn’t available, but Kern estimated attendance between 2,500 and 2,600.
 

The centerpiece was Beethoven’s amazing hourlong Symphony No. 9, with its instantly recognizable “Ode to Joy” chorus. But the first half of the concert was equally magnificent.
  Mezzo-soprano Katharine Goeldner, a Sigourney native, commanded the stage in two sparkling Mozart arias, then cast her sultry spell with a sassy swish of her taffeta skirt through “Habanera” from the opera “Carmen.” She was as physically expressive as she was vocally expressive, captivating the audience at every turn.
 

The balance was superb between the orchestra and the soloist — not an easy feat in an outdoor setting. The instruments were perfectly miced, with every nuance from oboe and French horn solo lines shimmering above the strings. Mozart, known for writing vocal gymnastics, gave the orchestra an impressive workout as well, especially through his light and dancing strings.
 

The first half ended with a fury, with Corsaire Overture, Op. 21, by Berlioz. This majestic piece began with a fury, giving way to a sweeping wash of strings before swelling to the crisp brass of a spirited march and a dazzling accelerando to the big finish.
 

In the second half, Beethoven’s most extraordinary accomplishment, composed when he was nearly deaf, was breathtaking from beginning to end. All the soft subtleties of the first movement, with its complex layers of dissonance, floated through the slightly humid night air, with delicate countermelodies from the woodwinds. The familiar second movement is equally thrilling with its whirling strings, light and lively bassoon and delicate French horn and oboe.
  Especially lovely in the reverent third movement was the way Hankewich nurtured the sound with his fluid direction.
 

And then, in a blaze of glory, came the cellos, basses, violas, and all the other voices, joining in the triumphal final movement, known as the “Ode to Joy.” Adding their sparkling voices to the finale, Goeldner returned to the stage with soprano Karla Goettel of Cedar Rapids, tenor Nathan Granner, who grew up in Creston, and baritone Jeffrey Fields, who taught voice and diction at the University of Iowa. The Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale, continuing to display careful preparation and fine dynamic interpretation, joined in the magnificent celebration that brought the crowd instantly to its feet, shouting “Bravo.” The entire evening was a triumph, indeed.
 

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