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| The Prince Georges Philharmonic; MD Community Orchestra |
| Fri, 30 Dec 2005 (PST) |
Prince George's Philharmonic Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is a celebration of creativity, of joy and of human brotherhood; above all, perhaps, it is a celebration of freedom, being the work that first, with elaborately focused energy, freed the symphonic form from wordlessness. All the work's qualities could be heard Saturday in a performance by the Prince George's Philharmonic under Charles Ellis at the University of Maryland's Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. It was also a celebration of community. The orchestra was joined by three choruses: the Chesapeake Chorale, Heritage Signature Chorale and High Point High School Concert Choir. They sang together as a tightly integrated and intensively trained unit. The sections were well balanced, the ensemble precise, the diction clear and powerful. There were a few momentary intonation problems in the orchestra, but on the whole its performance was excellent: the first movement mysterious, the second crisp and energetic, the third contemplative and the finale dramatic. Four soloists heightened the drama: soprano Marilyn Moore Brown, mezzo-soprano Delores Ziegler, tenor Keith Craig and bass Eric Johnson. All sang well; Craig made a particularly strong impression. -- Joseph McLellan |