The
year was 1982. Michigan State University’s
Wharton Center had just opened its doors and the Lansing Symphony Orchestra was
finally unshackled and released from its previous concert home, the dingy
Everett High School auditorium.
Gustav Meier was its music
director and conductor and he had to choose what music would his orchestra play
for their first big concert on the Cobb Great Hall stage on October 2nd
of that year.
It had to be big, it had
to be splashy, it had to be memorable, and it had to be significant.
Meier wisely chose
Symphony No. 2 “The Resurrection” by Mahler, a piece that met all those
qualifications.
I reviewed that performance
for the Lansing State Journal in my first year on the job and pronounced it “triumphant”,
which I felt it was. It was indeed a coming out party for the LSO, convincing
the world – or at least the mid-Michigan area – that they were a true
professional orchestra that should be taken seriously.
And it succeeded. From that point on, the ensemble has improved
its quality step by step each year. And
since conductor Timothy Muffitt took over the reigns 14 years ago, the ensemble has climbed
that staircase two or three steps at a time and today is an orchestra that is a
source of pride for the community and for the musicians.
And to prove the point, Muffitt
and his musicians are again mounting a performance of the “Resurrection” on
Saturday, November 2, 2019. For those of us who heard that first Wharton
performance 37 years ago, it will be a stunning return to a great evening.
Monumental is the word
that best describes this piece of music.
Not only does it require a gigantic ensemble to perform it, but the work
itself deals with deep ideas like life, death and the afterlife and takes about
90 minutes to perform – 15 minutes longer than Beethoven’s 9th.
Mahler became captivated
with the idea of the beauty of the afterlife and resurrection from the personal
level, not the Christian level.
The “Resurrection” requires
on ensemble that will cover the Great Hall stage from end to end. The
traditional 70-piece Lansing Symphony will be supplemented with a full 200-voice
chorus, organ and two vocal soloists.
Also, the orchestra will be beefed up with twice as many flutes, oboes,
clarinets, bassoons, horns, trumpets and bassoons.
If you look back to the
percussion section in the back of the stage, you’ll see three timpani players
playing seven kettle drums, plus two bass drums and a plethora of other
instruments.
The symphony has an
unforgettable beginning. It opens with a gruff and aggressive statement by the
string basses – almost saying “We have something to say to you, so sit up and
listen!!” And the audience is forced to take notice.
For the rest of the evening,
Mahler takes us on an intense journey through ideas, dreams, and imaginations.
This huge symphonic work, rated by the BBC Music Magazine as the 5th greatest symphony
of all time, is rarely played (because it is so expensive for an orchestra)
making every performance a major cultural event.
For information and
tickets: Call (517) 487-5001, or lansingsymphony.org.
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