It was a packed house in the Jarman Auditorium as professors, faculty and students were treated to an evening filled with sights and sounds of the Richmond Symphony.
The concert was in memorial of Dr. John Randall Cook, benefactor of the Cook-Cole College of Arts and Sciences. Featured along with the Richmond Symphony was guest conductor Mei-Ann Chen and prodigy pianist George Li.
The Longwood University Camerata Singers would also perform the final two pieces with the Richmond Symphony Chamber Chorus.
The first, and main, attraction of the evening was “Concerto in A Minor…” by Edvard Grieg that featured the young pianist.
Li couldn’t have been much older than myself, yet his masterful movements against the ivory left everyone in the audience breathless. Even the Richmond Symphony members seemed to lighten up immediately when he was ushered onto the stage.
The piece itself contained three movements. At first, it was a very dramatic, with a quick pass first movement, where every few seconds, young Li’s hair would bounce in rhythm with his pounding on the keyboard. However, it was greatly contrasted by the second movement, one of which had sweeping violins paired with the melodic trills of the piano.
The conductor seemed to practically dance as she got up onto her toes to give graceful bends of her wrists and arms for directions.
As the third and final movement began to set in, the tone quickly changed to a dancing (as in maypole dancing) beat with a blasting orchestra.
After a quick intermission, the second grand piece of the evening, “Symphony No. 2 in C Major” by Robert Schumann began.
Like the piece is described, much of the movements are created to contrast between light and dark. Usually there would be gentle sounding melodies played by higher pitched instruments that could be heard over the booming, but not chaotic, orchestra.
This piece quickly became my favorite of all that I heard during the evening because of its third movement. True to the composer’s time period, Schumann created a delicate, romantic movement that reminded me for some reason of two koi fish floating along together. The piece ended full of energy, though, with thunderous drums.
Two choirs combined together perform the final two songs, both coronation pieces by George Frederic Handel. Both of these songs were very booming and proud, like any royal’s coronation should.
It was interesting to see the combined choirs, where the Longwood students looked equally as professional as the Chamber Chorus, and just as prepared.
For a free concert put on by possibly the best symphony orchestra there is in the state, it was an amazing evening. It was a wonderful opportunity to be able to hear the Richmond Symphony and Longwood University combine together to create enchanting music.
