The Madison Symphony Orchestra opened “Reunion” on Friday evening in Overture Hall, a moving introduction to the 2024-’25 symphony season and a welcome to friends and symphony-goers old and new.
“We’re going to have fun this season and I’m so glad you’re a part of that,” executive director Robert Reed said at the start of the evening. “To those new to the MSO, you’re welcome here!”
Starting the program was Valerie Coleman’s “Umoja,” a celebration of freedom and diversity. Meaning “unity” in Swahili, “Umoja” began as a simple tune written for a women’s choir. Coleman reimagined the piece several times, arriving at a grand, orchestral version with layers of rich complexity, never losing sight of the original’s sweet simplicity.
The symphony imbued the pastoral melody of “Umoja” with exquisite texture. At times, a gossamer quality called to mind the flutter of butterflies. This posed a contrast to the thundering drums and hint of menace underpinning the piece, representing the threat of hatred to rip communities apart.
Joseph Jongen’s “Symphonie Concertante” is one of the most popular works featuring orchestra and organ, chosen by artistic director John DeMain to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the MSO’s Overture concert organ. The performance served as a showcase of the technical mastery of the MSO’s principal organist, Greg Zelek.
For the symphony’s opening weekend, Madison Symphony Orchestra principal organist Greg Zelek played one of the great works for organ and orchestra, Jongen’s “Symphonie Concertante.”
The organ and orchestra negotiated the four movements of “Symphonie Concertante Op. 81” as equals, requiring an organ large enough to assert itself. The finer intricacies of the thematic maelstrom spun by Zelek were sometimes lost in the uproar of the orchestra, though Zelek appeared to dance, his feet sweeping across the pedals. In the symphony’s final movement, his right hand fluttered in a non-stop cascade of notes, each its own divine revelation.
Not to be outdone by Zelek (a close friend), guest soloist Thomas Mesa followed this with Tchaikovsky’s cello concerto “Variations on a Rococo Theme”
Tchaikovsky wrote “Variations on a Rococo Theme” in 1876 intending to channel Mozart, whom he deeply admired. The piece features a theme reminiscent of Mozart’s elegance and deceptive simplicity, which undergoes several distinctive transformations.
The piece begins with a swelling, maternal embrace by the strings before entering into conversation with meek, almost childlike remarks by the woodwinds. French horn player Emma Potter picks up the woodwinds’ theme in a solo, acting as prelude to the cello..
Mesa’s performance on cello was phenomenal, in part due to its distinct narrative quality. With deft bow strokes, he summoned a sense of regality with rakish youth simmering just below the surface, then boiling over into a frolic. Michael Allsen, who writes the MSO’s program notes, aptly described the finale as “unleashing the cellist in a whole series of blazing fireworks.”
Zelek joined Mesa onstage for an encore, Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona’s “Malagueña.” The duet allowed Zelek’s skill on the organ to fully shine.
Manuel de Falla’s “Suite No. 2 from the Three-Cornered Hat” closed the concert. The piece is a suite from the 1917 Spanish ballet “El sombrero de tres picos,” based on the novel “The Magistrate and the Miller’s Wife.” The orchestra imbued the work with such color and dynamism that one might be compelled to dance if they weren’t thrust back into their seat by the sheer force of it.
“Reunion” was a joyous celebration of music, full of heart and harmony. There is still much to look forward to in the MSO’s fall slate — as Reed said, expect “lots of fun and lots of surprises!”
