LA JOLLA, California — Steven Schick, celebrated conductor, master percussionist, and distinguished UCSD professor, has commissioned over 150 new works. His latest was awarded to UCSD alumnus, Mary Kouyoumdjian for her piece, “Walking with Ghosts,” the opener of the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus’ February 11 concert at Mandeville Hall.
Although this is a volunteer orchestra, the program was performed at a professional level. It is no wonder that the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus’ performances merit reviews by the city’s major daily newspaper, alongside reviews of the San Diego Symphony and the San Diego Opera Company.
Kouyoumdjian’s piece began with a solo xylophone, evoking a skeletal dance. The texture thickened as the solo bass clarinet entered. Its iterations sounded Eastern European, reflective of Kouyoumdjian’s Armenian heritage. It was expertly performed by bass clarinet player, Jeff Anderle. The final measures had the strings sliding up and down, producing various harmonics, a technic introduced in Stravinsky’s “Fire Bird Suite,” creating an eerie ending, as if the ghosts were retiring into their graves.
The major work on the first half of the program was Richard Strauss’ “Four Last Songs,” written during the composer’s final years in Switzerland. The warmth and beauty of these songs about the seasons of life, was projected by UCSD music faculty member, Susan Narucki. Her silvery soprano soared above the orchestral texture like a bird taking flight.
The second half of the program opened with Edgard Varese’s “Octandre,” written in 1923, full of fresh wit. It was a charming showcase for the principal winds and brass of the orchestra: Elena Yarritu, flute; Carol Rothroch, oboe; Paul Miller, clarinet; Tom Schubert, bassoon; Ryan Beard, horn; Fil Starostla, trumpet; Eric Starr, trombone; and, Christine Allen, contrabass.
The final offering of the evening was Igor Stravinsky’s “Firebird Suite.” It was the 1911 version plus the added movements, “Berceuse” and “Finale.”
The “Berceuse” was most memorable with its haunting bassoon solo. The “Infernal Dance” was spectacular, with startling accents and incisive rhythms.
The “Finale” opened with a flawless horn solo growing into an exciting climax as more instruments joined forces to the final crescendo. The orchestra members seemed to be playing their hearts out, in response to Schick’s precise gestures.
It was an exciting evening of superb music making, with wonderful examples from the 20th century repertoire and the new addition by Mary Kouyoumdjian, currently on the faculty of Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music and at Columbia University.
Schick, who has guest conducted major ensembles such as the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the San Diego Symphony, and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, and was the director of the famed Ojai Festival in 2015, continues to produce percussion recordings and inspire students at SDSU.