Review: Palm Beach Symphony opens season with powerful performances of three masterworks

Palm Beach Symphony opened its 2022-2023 season on Sunday afternoon with three masterworks in a performance led by conductor Gerard Schwarz that was fulfilling in every way.

The program included some of the finest material written by three composers: David Diamond’s “Rounds for String Orchestra,” Max Bruch’s “Violin Concerto No. 1 in g minor, Op. 26,” and Johannes Brahms’s “Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73.”

The season-opening concert started with the traditional playing of the national anthem — led by guest Mary Bryant McCourt — followed quickly by the Diamond piece.

Schwarz took the stage like the seasoned maestro he is, conducting this slice of American music from 1944. Premiered less than a month after Copland’s “Appalachian Spring,” Diamond’s “Rounds for String Orchestra” has many of the same textures, though it is far more canonic. The similar string sounds and arrangement could be explained by the two composers being former pupils of the great pedagogue Nadia Boulanger.

One of Palm Beach Symphony’s strengths resides in the substantial string section led by concertmaster Evija Ozolins. It was a pleasure to hear such musical nuance from the large ensemble.

Though the opening melody could hardly be described as anything more than a repeated minor third interval, the degree of articulation and overall balance was magnificent. For a sizable string orchestra to have such clarity is rare. The delightful musicality of the Palm Beach Symphony was notable in its opening concert.

The highlight of the evening was Bruch’s “Violin Concerto No. 1,” featuring world-renowned violinist Sarah Chang. Her presence was felt from the moment she graced the stage until the final musical cadence.

Chang commanded every moment of the Bruch concerto, perfectly soaring with an angelic tone through the first passage from low G to high B-flat on her del Gesù violin. Her playing resonated throughout the hall in every register, creating an impeccable sound — shining brightest in legato and pianissimo passages with her wonderfully balanced feather-light bowing. Schwarz was with her in every moment. The duo communicated as if they were experiencing the music for the first time: with awe and dynamism; it was marvelous.

After intermission, the audience was treated to Brahms “Symphony No. 2 in D Major.” In Schwarz’s brief introduction, he explained that Brahms “never wrote a bad piece …anything that existed is sensational.”

At the pinnacle of Brahms’s best works is his second symphony. The first movement’s opening featured horns and bassoons immediately responding with clarinets and flutes. The entire symphony exudes the feeling of vitality and sensitivity that directly reflects Schwarz’s intention. The marvelous maestro knows every moment exactly, barely glancing at the musical score. Schwarz’s cues were given with marksman precision.

The symphony was enhanced with the horn solos of Amber Dean and the third movement’s oboe solo from James Riggs. The fourth movement carried the audience with an intense blend of colors, rushing into the final crescendo with vigor. The audience immediately roared with a standing applause at the final cadence.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Review: Palm Beach Symphony 2022-23 debut offers three great masterworks