2008 Woodie Awards
Symphony Orchestra 'rehearses a finale'
By: Veroica Szostalo
Issue date: 9/20/07 Section: Lifestyle
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For the Sept. 16 performance, "Rehearsing a Finale," Larson entered the stage as though dressed for an informal rehearsal, wearing a casual jacket. Meanwhile, the men in the orchestra doffed their formal jackets. Larson began by giving the audience a bit of background on the final piece, Antonin Dvorak's "Symphony No. 8 in G Major," and demonstrated how the orchestra rehearsed for it.
The idea was to present the audience with different ways the orchestra could perform a piece, Larson said. After the brief demonstration, Larson and the performers donned formal suits, and the real concert began.
"Choosing the programs is always a challenge," Larson said. The pieces chosen for that night include Mozart's "Symphony No. 35 in D Major," Ralph Vaughn Williams' "Norfolk Rhapsody" and Dvorak's piece as the finale.
"Each piece has very interesting material melodically and rhythmically," Larson said, referring to the reasons behind his choices.
Graduate student Alison Derrick has been with the Symphony Orchestra for just three weeks. "Rehearsing a Finale" was her first performance as a member. Derrick has been playing the viola since she was 13 years old. Music is an important part of her life, and her enthusiasm is evident when she speaks about playing.
"I love it," Derrick said. "It's amazing to feel all that sound around you and know that the audience is hearing it too. I really liked the 'Norfolk Rhapsody,' and the Dvorak is awesome."
Among the audience members in the crowded Community Music School concert hall were students on assignment.
"They're pretty interesting when you understand where the composer was coming from and what the influence was behind his music," junior business administration major Ricardo Westfall said of orchestra productions. Westfall attended the performance for his Introduction to Music class.
The Webster University Symphony Orchestra is unlike any other university orchestra because it is made up of three groups, Larson said. Only a third of the members are students attending Webster, with members of the Webster Groves community and professional musicians accounting for the remaining two-thirds of the orchestra.
The orchestra has six concerts a year: three in the fall and three in the spring.
"Students should come (to each performance) and be proud of their fellow students," Larson said. "What a gift it is to enjoy it for free."
Derrick agreed.
"People should try to listen to classical music because it's so moving and so dynamic," she said. "It's so different from modern music. You can plug an electric guitar into an amp, and it'll sound cool, but it's nothing like this."
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