WSO in Brandon
On a rainy March 22, an enjoyable afternoon was spent at the Westman Centennial Auditorium listening to a concert put on by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. The musical event showcased works by Ravel, Camille Saint-Saens, and a orchestration by Ravel based on Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition", after which the concert was named.
The concert opened with Ravel's "Mother Goose Suite", a charming piece originally written for two young children. The music evoked imagery of the carefree days of childhood and well loved fairy tales. The imitation of birdsong in some of the pieces was a reminder on a dreary day that spring is just around the corner.
The second piece was Camille Saint-Saens's "Piano Concerto No. 2" featuring concert pianist Inon Barnatan. Barnatan's performance was both musically and visually exciting; his energy and enthusiasm for the piece was readily apparent as was his skill. Saint-Saens piano concertos are known to be technically difficult but Barnatan made playing them look like a walk in the park. The rest of the orchestra shared in his enthusiasm and overall the impression was one of great proficiency.
The last piece was Ravel's titular orchestration of Mussorgsky's original solo piano composition "Pictures at an Exhibition". The entire work was originally inspired by an art exhibit of Mussorgsky's contemporary Viktor Hartmann, and each piece reflects a certain painting shown in the exhibition. Ravel's orchestral version is one of the most popular and preformed today, and it was clear why after hearing the WSO performance. Each piece was extraordinarily successful in conjuring up imagery reflective of the artwork upon which it was based, in large part owing to the skillful way in which the orchestra infused these pieces with emotion and life.
The performance included both light and dark pieces, which seemed especially appropriate when enjoyed during this transitionary time from winter to spring. It was an enjoyable experience, and an excellent way to spend a Sunday afternoon out of the rain.
