The Cascade Symphony opened its 43rd season Oct. 25 with an ambitious program — dedicated to the classical music elements of melody and beauty — that featured operatic arias tucked between major symphonic works.
Verdi’s “I Vespri Siciliani” Overture featured a whisper of violins followed by a percussive rumble and an oboe sounding like a baby’s cry, giving way to flute, snare drum and the pizzicato of violins. A furious galloping rhythm set up the melody, performed by cellos, which sounded richer and more precisely in tune in its reprise. The piece was marked by an almost bipolar swing from fury to saunter.
Maestro Michael Miropolsky followed the “Vespri” performance with an anecdote about the arrival in Milan of Verdi, who was a legend at the time. His countrymen expressed their musical patriotism by playing his music non-stop, throughout the city, a tribute that eventually got on the composer’s nerves.
Miropolsky then introduced coloratura soprano Elizabeth Ripley, who joined the orchestra to perform “Musetta’s Waltz” from “La Boheme” and “Ah, Forse Lui” from “La Traviata.”
Ripley’s presence was a refreshing departure from the formal vocal recital format. Dressed in operatic character attire, she performed with technical and artistic bravura, as well as flamboyant, dramatic, highly emotive flourishes. She punctuated her high notes with the body language of a raised eyebrow or a shrugged shoulder, and laughed with abandon at the critical moment.
In the selection from “La Traviata,” Ripley was joined by tenor Noah Baetge, whose strong voice sprang suddenly from the back of the hall as Alfredo, the lover arguing against her desire for freedom (“Sempre libera”). Ripley’s and Baetge’s duet was wildly engaging.
The program’s first half ended with “Don Juan” by Richard Strauss, which Miropolsky termed “one of the most difficult pieces for orchestra.” Strauss, who was also a conductor, wrote this, his first major work, at the age of 24. The opening features xylophone, lone oboe, clarinet and horns in passages that seem to express tortured angst as well as suspense. After a dramatic silence and the tremolo of violin, the work ends with a whimper of muted timpani.
Ripley returned after intermission to perform the “Vengeance Aria” from “The Magic Flute,” and the “Audition Aria” from “Die Fledermaus.” As she launched into the latter, she fetched a feathered boa, then sang: “I am every inch a queen … my husband is an old marquis … I need to fall in love and run away.” With a comedic over-the-top finish, she collapsed in mock tears on Miropolsky’s shoulder.
The orchestra capped the evening with Mendelssohn’s third symphony, “Scottish.” In this work there was the odd sense of a nearly irregular downbeat. The fourth movement featured a majestic march as woodwinds and brass came in. Here, Miropolsky’s left hand fluttered outstretched, urging violins toward a crescendo. The work culminated on a major chord that featured the bleat of trumpet.
Monday’s program, which featured the symmetry of a symphonic piece at the end of each half, certainly delivered on its promise of beautiful melodies. But perhaps it bit off more than it — or at least the audience — could chew. After a repast of delicious operatic samplings, it was hard to fully digest the big portions of symphonic work that followed.
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