Eclectic mix in Finney

Concert highlights talents both new and old

Early in 1914, an aspiring young composer-pianist named Sergei Prokofiev made history as the first student to win the St. Petersburg Conservatory Concerto Competition with his own work. He surpassed seven other competitors. He was twenty-two at the time.

Nearly eighty-five years later, on Saturday, Oct. 10, 1998, an Oberlin student virtually repeated history. Matthew Quayle, a Conservatory Senior graduating next month with degrees in piano and composition, was one of the winners of the Oberlin Concerto Competition. Of the 23 finalists in contention only seven winners were chosen. Quayle (sharing the same age as the student Prokofiev) performed his winning Piano Concerto last Friday with the Oberlin Chamber Orchestra.

The concerto was placed second on the program. It was preceded by Fanfare 1998 for Orchestra, written by Conservatory junior Huang Ruo. A powerfully exciting roller-coaster ride throughout the orchestra, the piece begins with immediate intensity and relentlessly shifts from section to section.

What is fascinating about this work is the extraordinary range of orchestral sounds and effects the composer can achieve in such a short time without compromising cohesiveness. No stone is left unturned. The entire orchestra was in top form, and under the direction of Timothy Weiss, displayed an ideal sense of clarity. Both the rapid succession of varying gestures and the crispness of ensemble were refreshing to hear. This is an ideal concert-opening piece, and its demands were fully met by the orchestra.

If Huang Ruošs Fanfare was an eye-opening appetizer, the Quayle concerto was a hearty entree. It opens quite remarkably with a lone marimba. Other instruments contribute solos and gradually the orchestra gains members and builds to the Allegro molto: the concertošs main theme. The first movement contains a wide array of orchestral techniques, most notably in the strings.

Violinists were sliding, plucking, even strumming their instruments like guitars. In addition, a wooden crate struck with mallets occasionally replaces the more conventional timpani, and clapping is included as a percussive effect. The orchestral writing overall is idiomatic and original; most impressive is the excellent wind writing after the introduction of the lyrical theme.

The first movement moved seamlessly into the second, where the piano plays a more individual role than in the first. In fact, it was not until the mysterious solo playing in the second movement that Quaylešs fine control of nuance was displayed. Following this section is perhaps the most memorable moment in the score: the buildup to the third movement. After a moment of eerie string slides, an intense ascent culminating in a devilish tremolo seems to go higher than the piano has the keys to play.

The ensuing finale is the most exciting movement of the three. It might well be described as a virtuosic perpetual motion exercise, but the satisfying piano figuration prevents it from being just that. Quaylešs playing, too, was engaging throughout.

This piece showed a pleasing balance between conventional techniques and creative new devices. It is evident that the composer not only has learned his lessons well from the former masters, but that he also has the means to speak with his own stylistic voice.

Quayle replaces novelty with creativity. He makes the music uniquely his through a variety of ways. His consideration for the orchestra can be seen in the ever-changing combinations of instruments; the string quartet in the finale was a nice touch. The many solos sprinkled throughout also give the work a more personal feel then one normally finds in a concerto. And to be sure, the piano figurations are original. In the end, the audiencešs reaction was justifiably intense. Certainly this youthful (but mature) creation is an auspicious beginning for an aspiring composer.

Two pieces occupied the second half of the concert: Stravinskyšs Ode, and Shostakovichšs Ninth Symphony. Putting the rarely-played Stravinsky in this spot on the program was an excellent idea. As a light interlude between the Quayle and the Shostakovich, it cleansed the pallate.

The piece was well-performed, although the orchestra was less focused than in the first half of the concert. Regardless, phrases unfolded in a natural, unforced way, and there was very subtle playing, especially from the wind players. Strings produced crisp pizzicatos and played with a wide range of articulation.

As one of the composeršs lighter symphonies, Shostakovichšs ninth fit perfectly into this program. Again, although there were many good things, the orchestra never regained its brilliance from the first half of the program. The opening movement was clearly presented: the ensemble was very tight and never lost focus. The prominent solos were generally well played. Most memorable were those by senior violinist Esther Noh, sophomore flautist Eric Lamb and sophomore bassoonist Karl Rzasa.

The best playing in this symphony came unexpectedly in the Presto, one of the lighter movements. Several effects were special moments: The parallel scales in the winds were clean and precise. The string effects came off nicely, and the dynamic control was sensitive.

The finale was brilliant, the most impressive moment was in the coda; Weiss with his famous rhythmic precision successfully maneuvered through various tempo changes without missing a beat.