Family members, APU students and music lovers filled Munson Chapel Sept. 26 to hear the Azusa Pacific University Symphony Orchestra perform. The concert, which was the first of the orchestra’s season, featured music from Beethoven, Mozart and other composers.
While waiting for the chapel to open, patrons talked and greeted each other in the cool evening air. The musicians also stood outdoors, mingling with their soon-to-be audience before the concert began.
Many of the musicians, poised in their formal attire of all black (women wearing black pants, dresses or skirts and men wearing tuxedos), had their clarinets, violins or other instruments at the ready while talking to their friends.
A few minutes after 7:30 p.m., a student came out and announced that the chapel was open for seating.
A little before 8 p.m., the musicians filed into the auditorium wielding their instruments. As the students settled on stage, the lights went up and the conductor walked on to loud applause and cheers.
The concert began with the rare “Fest Overture” from 1871, created by a lesser-known composer, Leopold Damrosch. The piece begins softly with dominant violin parts and escalates into a cymbal- and timpani-driven ending.
“Fest Overture” was introduced by the orchestra’s conductor, Christopher Russell. He explained the significance of the piece: “It is not known of when this piece was performed live.”
Before the next piece was performed, students from the percussion and woodwind section yielded the stage to a smaller ensemble.
Two soloists also performed during the concert. Clarinet soloist Darkson Magrinelli Rocha played the solo during Mozart’s “Clarinet Concerto in A, K. 62.” Rocha’s performance coupled with Russell’s conducting brought a standing ovation from the audience.
Darkson Magrinelli Rocha about to perform his solo piece Photo credit: Jasmine Rodgers
The second soloist was cello player not from APU, Pola Benke. Dressed in a flowing red gown, Benke’s eyes were closed for the majority of her performance as her fingers quickly jumped up and down on her instrument, causing the audience to rise to its feet.
Cellist Pola Benke performs her piece Photo credit: Jasmine Rodgers
After a 15-minute intermission, the symphony returned to perform Beethoven’s iconic “Symphony No. 5 in C minor.” The work, consisting of four movements, was one of the most technically detailed of the night. Slight pauses, sudden crescendos, a number of violin and clarinet solos and Russell’s notable passion marked the piece.
The concert ended with a two-minute standing ovation from the crowd. The next performance will be the Symphonic Band Fall concert on Oct. 12.