Concert piece a 'marathon of fury and passion'

For those willing to brave the snow, wind and ice, Wednesday evening's University Orchestra concert was a welcome respite from the toils of the week. \nFirst on the program was the Concerto for Harp and Orchestra by Alberto Ginastera. Ginastera is a composer whose work I initially regard as having more style than substance, similar to an Argentinean Poulenc, but after some time passed I began to perceive much greater depth and imagination than my first impression allowed. The Harp Concerto, for instance, is a bright, temperate work, full of imagination that employs a broad array of orchestral textures and timbres that the orchestra let shine throughout the piece. \nThe featured soloist, undergraduate Jane Yoon, in a stunning orange gown as full of sunlight as the piece she performed, similarly drew out a wide range of colors from her instrument, revealing a versatility in the instrument of which I, for one, was unaware (my knowledge of the harp repertoire extends no further than "Alexander's Feast"). Yoon showed great technical mastery and is a gracious and engaging performer. Though the first and third movements of the concerto were brilliant in their virtuosities, I do believe her greatest triumph was her delicate delivery of the deliberate and thoughtful second. Her performance garnered a lengthy and well-deserved ovation.\nFollowing intermission was Franz Liszt's "Faust Symphony," a veritable marathon of Romantic fury and passion. First performed nearly a century and a half ago, the symphony is fascinating for its complexity and depth. The University Orchestra's performance left little wanting, save, perhaps, better intonation in the lower strings. Special attention should most definitely be paid to oboist Heather Shelley and violist Craig Bate for their beautiful duet in the second part, as well as to the entire brass section for its majestic and well-blended sonority. \nThe orchestra, made up largely of the youngest of the Jacobs School of Music instrumentalists, stretched itself both physically and musically in this monumental masterpiece and should be warmly congratulated.