Solo cellist’s
efforts pay off

The second Honolulu Symphony Masterworks concert is an eclectic program, including works from different national backgrounds: Tan Dun's "Orchestral Theatre 'O' "(1990), Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1 (1959), and Sibelius' Symphony No. 2 (1901).

Honolulu Symphony With guest conductor Alexander Mickelthwate In concert: 4 p.m. today Where: Blaisdell Concert Hall Tickets: $22 to $73 Call: 792-2000 or Ticketmaster, 877-750-4400

National identity appeared to be the link between these pieces, as the three composers are usually associated with their countries (China, Russia and Finland). But after Friday night's concert, it is clear how cleverly the three composers used the diverse colors of the orchestra.

Guest conductor Alexander Mickelthwate and the symphony crafted the palette with finesse and skill. Cello soloist Mark Votapek, principal cellist for the symphony, created the warmest tint.

Chinese composer Tan Dun's piece opened the program. In "Orchestral Theatre" the Western orchestra reproduces sounds of classical Chinese music, and each musician is engaged in tapping and striking instruments, as well as shouting and humming. Tan Dun conceived the music as a "primitive ritual," with a firm structure characteristic of a Western concert hall.

After this theatrical work, it took a while to adjust to the lyrical quality of Shostakovich's Concerto. The soloist's demanding tasks involve technical accuracy and musical expressiveness. But the cello is not a "show-off" instrument and sometimes the cellist's efforts are not appreciated enough.

But Votapek did it all. His polished technique, precise intonation and his delicate vibrato -- combined with fluent phrasing -- characterized the concerto. His cadenza (the third movement) and the challenging double, triple and quadruple stops were impressive.

The orchestra conversed with the soloist and the principal motive developed with clarity throughout the piece with relentlessness. Wade Butin's horn sprang out of the orchestra, playing its brilliant sounds in alternation with the cello, and Scott Anderson's clarinet in its high register took over the second theme with incisive clarity.

Sibelius' Symphony No. 2 sounds obviously Finnish, and some critics attributed a political meaning to it. But Sibelius did not explicitly refer to nationalism when writing this piece. In fact, he was in Italy when he drafted some parts and thought of Dante's "Divine Comedy" and death.

The symphony's second movement featuring the bassoon melody, brilliantly played by Paul Barrett, referred to the legend of Don Juan's death. A full and loud brass section succeeded in representing the drama.

Mickelthwate made sure that the same three-note figure was presented with clarity in different occasions and in different forms (upside-down, backward, by the strings, woodwinds and clarinets).

Comfortable with the piece, the maestro "entered" in the music with passion, yet with a great deal of control. He contained the long passages and the occasional pomposity of the piece with elegance.