Review by Elizabeth Warnimont
Special to The Herald

The most recent offering from the Vallejo Symphony Orchestra, an evening of “Mostly Mozart” featuring guest conductor Pamela Martin and French horn soloist Meredith Brown, provided a taste of something spectacular Saturday night, begging an encore after an exciting trio of pieces by Mozart and R.G. Strauss.

The evening was so entertaining, it’s a shame we have to wait until May 1 for the next opportunity to witness this splendid and ever-improving artistic ensemble, which has flourished under the gifted leadership of Maestro David Ramadanoff.

Ramadanoff has been conducting the VSO since 1983. Its musicians perform regularly with Vallejo and other major area orchestras. Ramadanoff previously served as conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and principal conductor of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music; he is the recipient of several national and international awards.

He is also instrumental in the VSO’s local outreach programs, which include a mini concert series involving small ensembles playing in area schools.

Always a crowd pleaser, the group seems to suffer only from a lack of exposure. Vallejo and Benicia residents are continually surprised to discover that we have a professional symphony orchestra right here in our own backyard. This hidden gem deserves to be less hidden.

Last weekend’s concert began with Mozart’s “Overture to Don Giovanni,” conducted by Assistant Conductor Pamela Martin. Shortly after the powerful, foreboding minor chord opening, the lingering strains of the cellos captured the audience, drawing them into the musical story. If the tempo felt a bit slow at first, perhaps it was intended to create an eagerness for the listener, drawing us toward the more lively theme that followed directly on the heels of the somber introduction.

The violin section is the focus of this piece, enhanced by an array of other strings and highlighted with bright winds, but the timpani drum seemed to be the instrument last weekend that kept the number alive and on its toes. The timpanist’s part is small but crucial, and Len Sperry carried out the role with enthusiasm and artful precision.

The legend of Don Giovanni, better known as Don Juan, is playfully mocked in this operatic masterpiece. More information about the story behind the music can be found by selecting “Program Notes” on the symphony’s Web site, www.vallejosymphony.org.

The second piece, sandwiched between two Mozart works, was one of the most popular classical works ever to highlight the French horn: Strauss’s “Horn Concerto No. 1 in E Flat Major.” Written in 1883, the music was heavily influenced by Mozart, Ramadanoff said. “In this work the 19-year-old Strauss clearly follows the classical tradition he learned from Mozart while demonstrating that he already has considerable mastery and a strong musical personality of his own,” the maestro noted. It is not surprising to learn that Strauss’s father, Franz Strauss, was principal horn for the Bavarian Orchestra, providing his son with a keen appreciation of the instrument’s unique emotional capabilities.

“Although this concerto contains classical elements, it also contains many romantic passages,” explained VSO board member Mary Eichbauer, “especially in the lyrical, expressive second movement.”

MEREDITH BROWN and her husband, principal trombonist Bruce Chrisp, at a post-concert reception at the McCree-Goudeau Art Gallery in Vallejo.
Kevin Hill photo

Meredith Brown, principal horn player for the VSO, wowed the audience with her masterful and tender rendition. The award-winning musician performs with eight different orchestras in the Bay Area, but especially enjoys working with Ramadanoff, “one of my favorite conductors,” she said in a recent interview. Brown, who earned her master’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory, previously performed with the San Francisco Symphony, S.F. Opera and S.F. Ballet, along with other performance groups.

The final selection of the evening was Mozart’s “Symphony No. 39 in E Flat Major,” the first of the composer’s final three symphonies, all written during the summer of 1788, three years before his death. The most powerful portions of the work showed off the best of the VSO’s string component. The musicians were in exceptionally polished form, apparently more swept up in the spirit of the music than in the first two pieces. The reeds sounded sweet, the strings were tightly synchronized, and the nuances in tempo and volume flowed supremely among all the sections. Timpanist Sperry remained strong and precise throughout the evening.

VSO board president Bonnie Bernhardt made a special announcement at last weekend’s performance: the Syar Foundation has recently challenged the organization with a matching grant opportunity. New donations to the orchestra will be matched up to a maximum of $12,500, which the group hopes to meet before their next scheduled concert on May 1.

For information on tickets or donations, visit www.vallejosym-phony.org or call 643-4441.