Soloist Joyce Yang gave a terrific performance of Edward Grieg's Piano Concerto at the Anchorage Symphony Orchestra's season opening concert on Saturday. The well-worn piece had a fresh shine in her hands, starting from the first cascading chords. She played it with grand vision, power, earnestness, pacing and, most importantly, precision. Though given to using a lot of pedal, she nonetheless managed the device to produce a sense of musical awe while letting the melodic lines come through clearly. The first movement cadenza was virtuosity incarnate and the slow movement appropriately sensitive. The orchestra played very well; only toward the very end did the ensemble drown out the piano, which may be unavoidable with this piece in a venue as large as Atwood Concert Hall.
The response was loud and long and Yang followed with a dazzling encore, Alberto Ginastera's "Danza del Gaucho Matrero" -- "Dance of the Arrogant Cowboy" -- the third of his "Danzas Argentinas."
Conductor Randall Craig Fleischer spent some time explaining Leos Janacek's "Sinfonietta" and giving examples at the start of the program. Intermission opinion seemed mixed as to whether that was a plus or a minus. The piece requires 25 brass players for the opening and closing fanfare and musicians from around Alaska had been recruited for it. With the ASO's usual players in their usual seats, the visiting performers stood lined up on a riser in the back of the stage to play Janacek's notes -- and several notes he didn't write.
The middle movements went fairly well, the brass scoring limited to standard symphonic forces, which meant the ASO regulars did all the playing. Unfortunately, the reprise of the very tricky fanfare in the finale was no better than the first movement, veering toward chaos.
Ottorino Respighi's "Pines of Rome" closed the evening on much happier footing. The ASO horns, trumpets and trombones ably handled their parts, including several difficult solos. Wonderful playing also came from the solo winds and the strings were rock-solid.
In the final section, "The Pines of the Appian Way," the visiting brass players were called back into action. This time they lined the sections of the top balcony on either side of the hall. Their part in the Respighi was much easier than in the Janacek, and they sounded noticeably better. From a seat near the middle of the balcony, flanked by the trumpets and trombones, it was a stirring climax indeed. It must have sounded pretty good on the ground floor, too. The audience responded with unbounded enthusiasm, applauding and cheering loud and long.
The Anchorage Symphony Orchestra will present "Disney in Concert," with music and songs accompanied by clips from favorite Disney animated films at 2 and 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 10 in Atwood Concert Hall. Tickets are available at centertix.net.
Reach Mike Dunham at mdunham@alaskadispatch.com or 257-4332.