Symphony show is celebration of spring

By Joe Pinchot
Herald Staff Writer

Greenville Symphony Orchestra is buying into Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s claim that “In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love” with a concert of 19th century Romantic music.

While the Romanticism in this case refers more to an approach to music than love, there’s a fair amount on the mushy stuff on the program for Saturday’s concert, which carries the theme “S is for Spring.”

“Nothing dark, morose, morbid or weird,” promised Music Director Paul Chenevey. “Nothing contemporary.”

The concert will open with Bedrich Smetana’s overture to his 1866 comic opera “The Bartered Bride.”

“It’s a lively, exuberant overture,” Chenevey said. “It’s starts fast and never lightens up.” Then the orchestra will introduce French horn soloist William Slocum of Youngstown to play Richard Strauss’ first horn concerto.

The French horn certainly doesn’t rank with the piano or violin for concerto composers, and the major symphonic horn literature are four Mozart pieces and two Strauss works. “Every horn player knows this piece,” Chenevey said. “It’s top of the line in terms of popularity.”

Strauss was a 19-year-old student at the University of Munich when he wrote the work in 1883. His father, Franz, was a professional horn player.

“Strauss loved the instrument,” Chenevey said. “He had his father in mind when he wrote it.” Slocum, professor of horn at Youngstown State University, is making a return trip with the orchestra, having played a Mozart horn concerto with the symphony in the ‘80s. “He’s a super horn player,” Chenevey said.

Slocum’s wife, Gloria, is orchestra director at Sharon schools. The concert concludes with the most romantic of the pieces, the first symphony by Robert Schumann, subtitled “Spring.”

Schumann had just married the former Clara Weick when he wrote the symphony, and he remembered the period as the happiest of his life.

“It’s two people in love in the spring.” Chenevey said. “He sketched it out in four days and wrote it in less than a month.”

Mrs. Strauss wrote in her diary that the piece “stirred my soul.” Felix Mendelssohn, better known for his own composing, conducted the first performance in 1841.

“It’s traditional, romantic, tuneful, familiar music,” Chenevey said. “We haven’t done anything of this type for quite a while.”

Chenevey is revisiting the work after conducting it in his first concert with the symphony in 1984. He said his interpretation has changed, but he can’t specifically say how. “You’re always changing and growing.”

The concert will be at 8 p.m. in Passavant Center, Thiel College, Greenville. In an unusual event for a symphony concert, there will be an opening act, the Thiel College Hand Bell Choir, which will perform in the lobby.

Tickets: at the door.

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