The Cleveland Orchestra’s Youth Orchestra drew an exuberant Finney audience into its musical world on Sunday. The music on the program was diverse but well-balanced, and the orchestra played rather well considering it consists of 116 high school and college students who rehearse only once a week.

The program included a short piece entitled elegy, a concerto and a full symphony. The orchestra started somewhat timidly with elegy, composed by Joseph A. Hallman, who attended the concert. The piece was a commissioned work for the orchestra and was inspired, Hallman said, by the death of his mother. Although some of the melodies were haunting, the piece was not generally very memorable, despite its title. Unfortunately for the composer, the orchestra seemed rather uncomfortable with the piece’s exposing passages where a great deal of solo playing was required in the winds and brass, dampening the effect of his music. But the solo work by the principal cellist and assistant principal violist was well-executed and clean.

The orchestra became bolder when violist Katie Elder stepped on stage to perform Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Viola and Orchestra. Despite her quiet and unimposing stage presence, the opening notes of the concerto were refreshingly powerful. She managed to produce a resonant and rich tone from her viola that was audible over the orchestra. The orchestra was more comfortable with the concerto, and, though sometimes struggling to follow the soloist, did it justice. The quick runs in the viola and orchestra’s parts were well-performed as were the lyrical sections of the piece. Bartók’s works are known as challenging, and understandably the orchestra ran, at times, into some problems performing his work. But overall, the piece was played well.

During the first half of the concert the orchestra played no better than the typical youth orchestra. The pieces were performed with a noticeable lack of intonation in the winds and brass, while some listlessness in the orchestra’s musicality was noticable. It was with somewhat low hopes that the audience awaited the second half of the program.

But expectations were completely blown away by the orchestra’s performance of Mahler’s Symphony No.1 in D major. From the first notes of the symphony, the orchestra displayed a core of energy and musicality as the powerful chords and rich tones swelled through Finney.

The piece consists of four movements and several repeated and modulated themes. The two major lyrical themes of the piece were lush, warm and thrilling, while the faster movements were enthralling and exciting. There were, of course, a few sour notes and some poor intonation, but these errors were drowned out by the force and power of the music.
Every musician in the orchestra was deeply involved in the music and it showed in the melodies and harmonies that resounded in the chapel.
The Cleveland Orchestra’s Youth Orchestra concert cannot be called an unqualified success nor could the orchestra be called one of the most professional youth orchestras around, but the dynamic performance of Mahler’s symphony was a good demonstration of how musical an orchestra can be when every member is emotionally involved.