Columbus Symphony Orchestra
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Ohio Theatre
Columbus, OH
January 7, 2022

Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at an Exhibition
Stravinsky: Le sacre du printemps (arr. Jonathan McPhee)

The Columbus Symphony opened the New Year with its annual Russian Winter Festival, now in its seventh year. The first of two programs in the Festival, Friday night’s offering put forth two of the most pivotal works – and orchestral showpieces – of the Russian repertoire: Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. Such a meaty program made for an exciting night of orchestral virtuosity.

Presented in its (overly?) familiar Ravel orchestration, Pictures at Exhibition was certainly a rousing way with which to begin the year, with the clarion trumpets calls of the opening “Promenade” setting a ceremonial tone (principal trumpet Mark Grisez). The coloristic “Gnomus” put Ravel’s mastery of instrumentation on full display. Marked contrast was to be had in the lightness of “Tuileries” preceding the weight of the imposing “Bydło” – the latter a shining moment for the tuba. “Samuel Goldenberg und Schmuÿle” stood out by its striking use of the muted trumpet, showing the many colors of an instrument so pivotal to the suite. A tragic chorale opened the “Catacombae” segment, perhaps the emotional core of the work, while closing “Great Gate of Kiev” was solemn and stentorian, with a suitably grandiose finish enhanced by the tolling bells.

Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring amply filled out the balance of the evening. Milanov opted to use a version for reduced orchestra arranged by conductor Jonathan McPhee. While perhaps some of the raw excitement is lost when performed by slimmer forces, the McPhee arrangement stays faithful to the original (a few samples can he heard here) and is the only reduction to be approved by the Stravinsky estate (and when the work is performed as a staged ballet, this version accommodates venues that lack a pit large enough to fit the vast number of players the composer originally envisioned).

The work began in a bassoon solo (Betsy Sturdevant), sounding nearly otherworldly in its unnaturally high register. The music progressed discursively, gaining momentum until it crested in the iconic passage of manically repeated, pulsating rhythmic gestures. Milanov’s exacting baton work carefully guided the orchestra through the piece’s fearsome rhythmic complexes. Part II opened shrouded in the same mystery as the beginning with fine solo contributions from concertmaster Joanna Frankel, astringently portraying a desolate atmosphere. The pounding bass drum ignited the kinetic energy of “Glorification of the Chosen One”, bursting with a primal fury that pointed in due course towards the final, cataclysmic crash. There’s certainly much to forward to in the second installment of the Russian Winter Festival, featuring works of Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov.