Although Ohio State’s Symphony Orchestra uses music as its form of expression, there is a deeper message in its performance than simply playing notes on a page.
Under the direction of Marshall Haddock, OSU’s Symphony Orchestra will take the stage at the Weigel Auditorium today for the first of two spring concerts. Some members of the ensemble, such as Matt Mauro, hope the audience looks past the notes to the true meaning of the music.
Mauro said the orchestra’s goal for the performance should be to go beyond just playing music.
“Don’t just give notes on a page. Go beyond that,” Mauro said. “Leave the audience with something we were trying to say.”
The ensemble will perform several pieces, including a Mozart symphony, a piece by Georges Bizet and orchestral selections from an opera by Richard Wagner, which they have been practicing since the beginning of Spring quarter, Haddock said. For Mauro, the Bizet piece stands out because it is so diverse.
“For this piece, there are four very different movements, or sections, and I just like the variety and color in that,” Mauro said.
Each piece is different from the others, but Haddock said all the selections showcase the ability of the orchestra.
“I don’t know if you could say there is a theme,” Haddock said, “but I always pick songs based on what we can play.”
Just as the selections differ stylistically, Haddock also said he thinks the audience’s perceptions of the concert will differ. He said he thinks the audience will interpret the selections in their own way.
“I expect that everyone who’s there will take away their own version of what happened,” Haddock said.
Mauro feels the classical music the orchestra will perform can provide a change of pace for audience members who listen to contemporary music.
“Classical music is beautiful because of the refinement. It’s really sophisticated,” Mauro said. “There is just so much thought behind it.”
“Not to diminish what people are doing now, but music nowadays is much more simple,” he said of contemporary music. “It’s fun to listen to, but it lacks a lot of the complexity of this style of music [classical]. Everyone can enjoy it.”
Haddock said he hopes the performance will be an enjoyable learning experience for both the audience and the 65 performers, who he said could learn considerably throughout the entire process.
“They learn in the rehearsals,” Haddock said of the performers. “And there is always something to be learned from performing in front of this type of audience.”
The Orchestra is chosen through an intense audition process. Most members are music majors, Haddock said, and the purpose of the orchestra for these students is to hone their performance skills.
Mauro, who has been playing the horn since sixth grade, is excited for the performance. He said he has always loved performing music, and this show is no exception.
“We’ve put in a lot of preparation, a lot of hours in rehearsal,” Mauro said. “I’m excited to play for people who want to listen and to have it all come together in one final big performance.”
The Symphony Orchestra concert will be held in the Weigel Auditorium at OSU at 8 p.m. tonight. The cost is $6 for general admission or $4 for senior citizens and students with an ID.
