By Tom Ganser
Correspondent
On March 19, in the setting of Holy Communion Episcopal Church in Lake Geneva, an audience of 80 people was treated to the third and final Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra chamber music concert for the 2016-17 season.
The concert began with the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Robert Washburn and Charles Lefebvre performed by Prevailing Winds, a woodwind quintet consisting of players from the orchestra – Eileen Weyrauch on flute, Lauren Klement on oboe, Timothy Graf on clarinet, Derek Kane on bassoon and Liz Ehlert on horn.
Ehlert said performing with fewer musicians creates a more intimate experience that playing in a large ensemble.
“The cacophony of sound and interest in instrumentation that can be produced by a large ensemble is remarkable,” she wrote in an email. “In contrast, the vulnerability and exposure of playing with only a few instruments lends itself to a more unique interpretation of musical expression.
“In a small ensemble it becomes easier to hear each musician’s artistry and, in a sense, building a greater understanding of each player’s relationship to music. Although, this is accomplished at a microscopic level within the sections of an orchestra and more largely within instrument families, it becomes more difficult to have a sense of each individual’s musicianship. The musical brilliance and expertise of the conductor thus proves to play a vital role in unifying the musical expression of the orchestra and to more accurately convey the composer’s intent behind the work.
“Any performance whether large or small is an organic, complex and gratifying experience. I thoroughly enjoy and feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to play in both of these ensembles.”
Musique du Lac, featuring Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra musicians Laurie Cornue on violin, Brandy Crawford on viola, Anne McCord on cello, Clyde Bachand on bass and Bethany Hartlaub on piano, ended the concert with Franz Schubert’s piano quintet, “The Trout.”
At 7:30 p.m. April 8, the orchestra will be in concert at Calvary Community Church in Williams Bay performing the overture from “The Gadfly Suite,” from the score by Dmitri Shostakovich for the 1955 film, “The Gad Fly,” and “Symphony No. 2” by Alexander Borodin.
In addition, David Newman will join the orchestra as guest pianist for a performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Concerto No. 2.”
Newman is a resident of Beloit where he teaches applied music and class piano at Beloit College. He is also an active soloist and chamber musician throughout Wisconsin.
Newman last soloed with the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra in 2009, performing George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”
For information about the orchestra, which has performed regularly in Walworth County since 2001, and to obtain information about purchasing tickets for the April 8 concert, visit www.lakegenevaorchestra.com.
