Cheerful concert opens season

The musicians sat on the floor, lending an air of intimacy to the performance.
By NANCILYNN GATTA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Warren Philharmonic Orchestra was ready to celebrate Saturday night at its opening concert of the 2004-05 season.
One reason was its relocation from a church sanctuary to Packard Music Hall and Convention Center. The cello section even lead a spontaneous rendition of "Happy Birthday" for Atty. Charles E. Wern Jr., board president, after his opening remarks.
The impressive performances gave the audience a reason to cheer.
Seating
Typically at an orchestra concert, the musicians perform on the stage and the audience sits in the seats below.
In this case, the musicians and conductor were on the floor about halfway from the curtained proscenium. The audience sat in the cushioned bleacher seats directly in front of the orchestra. This gave a sense of intimacy to the performance, where practically every musician was in view.
It was especially effective for the young people in attendance. They could see the instruments that played such beautiful music and watch as the musicians turned the pages of their scores.
Happy beginning
Continuing the festive mood, the evening began with Dances from the opera, "The Bartered Bride" by Bedrich Smetana.
Conductor Susan Davenny Wyner said that she chose the first piece to start the evening on a happy note. The third movement, "Dance of the Comedians," gave the string section a time to shine as it executed numerous fast-moving passages with ease.
Pianist Di Wu gave local audiences a chance to hear her perform before she makes her Carnegie Hall debut in less than a week. Wu displayed not only technical prowess, but also an emotional involvement with her piece, Piano Concerto, No. 2 in G Minor, Opus 22, by Camille Saint-Saens.
During the intermission, an instrumental petting zoo was held. Interested young people and others were invited to touch the instruments and ask the musicians questions. This broke down the barrier between the audience and performer.
Mussorgsky
The second half of the concert began with Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition." The musical composition offered a journey of viewing an art exhibit. The initial theme, the familiar "promenade" is heard throughout the piece in many moods from lighthearted to an almost haunting quality in later movements.
Warren Harding graduate Brian Keith Johnson, who appeared Friday night at Stambaugh Auditorium as Tonio in "I Pagliacci" once again displayed a clarity of tone and musicality, which enthralled the Packard audience. His encore of "Bring Him Home" brought tears to numerous eyes.
Johnson was joined by soprano Adele Karam on George Gershwin's "Bess, you is" from "Porgy and Bess" and "I have dreamed" from "The King and I" by Richard Rodgers. Both selections were a nod to American theatrical music with a classical feel.
During the post-concert reception, Wu played a few impromptu selections in the performance area.