ASO’s fine Vaughan Williams program had power, drama

One of the most popular works is “The Lark Ascending,” based on a poem about a skylark by George Meredith. While not quite a concerto, the piece is altogether built around a solo violin, here ably handled by David Coucheron, the orchestra’s charming young concertmaster. As someone who plays primarily in the ensemble, Coucheron doesn’t have the kind of giant tone usually associated with professional soloists, and in this performance both he and Robert Spano, who conducted, used this to advantage to give the work a softer and gentler approach, a tad less energetic but with more focus on Coucheron’s beautiful singing line. This also heightened the contrast with the work that followed.

The composer’s Fourth Symphony is clearly in the “ignored” category, and it exemplifies a completely different sound world from “Lark.” While “Lark” comes from the composer’s interest in pastoral landscapes, the Fourth is angry, grim, and often quite loud. Composed on the eve of World War II, it is often considered an anti-Fascist statement, although Vaughan Williams denied this.

Spano plunged furiously into the work, giving the edgy moments an added measure of power. There are also passages that seem to come from a “noir-ish” movie score, and a few moments of calm relief. This was a forceful and welcome case for the Fourth and perhaps for other neglected works by this quirky Englishman.

Unless you were watching closely, you might have missed an interesting bit of drama during the symphony. Assistant Concertmaster Justin Bruns broke a string on his violin. Instantly, his desk partner gave him his instrument, then handed off to another musician who rushed offstage for a replacement. The whole episode was over in seconds. As Coucheron commented at intermission (with typical understatement): “it all worked out pretty well.”

After the break we got “Dona nobis pacem,” a big choral work which mashes up a Latin Mass, Walt Whitman’s “Drum Taps,” and an 1855 address made by John Bright in Parliament. An anti-war statement, it features the special “20th Century English church” sound that Vaughan Williams brought to all his choral works though he was an atheist. The soprano soloist was Jessica Rivera, whose voice seems more expressive than ever, perfectly suited to this work. Her rich vibrato, which she uses for dramatic effect, contrasted nicely with the pure sound of the ASO Chorus. Baritone Brett Polegato added a refined, beautiful tone with some of the best diction I can recall hearing in Symphony Hall.

The level of playing all night could have made a fine recording. But wait! That’s what’s happening. Thursday’s program was scheduled to be recorded during the day on Friday, for release in late summer or early fall. There’s a fine 1998 Shaw/ASO recording of “Dona nobis pacem” still available, so it will be interesting to compare the two performances.