Young Musicians Bid Webber Farewell

Ending its 41st season Sunday afternoon in Thorne Hall at Occidental College, the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra bade farewell to its music director of the last three seasons.

Showing the value of her YMF tenure, Lara Webber conducted an exposing program deftly. It offered a West Coast premiere in Kevin Putz’s brief “Anthem,” a solid run-through of Elgar’s E-minor Cello Concerto and an account of Stravinsky’s “Firebird” suite that lacked only the mesmerizing brilliance of a virtuoso orchestra.

For this BMI-sponsored event--Broadcast Music Inc. protects composers’ interest in the same way that ASCAP does--Putz’s handsomely derivative work, eight minutes in length, displayed the young composer’s skills and craft, but fell short of showing originality. Copland-esque to a fault, “Anthem” waves the flag enthusiastically but seems old-fashioned for a piece written in 1995.

Webber’s sure hand in “Firebird” brought out many details and rode the climaxes with poise and firm accomplishment. Her young players only occasionally achieved finesse, however, reminding us that this is, after all, a training orchestra.

A lack of projection made Jonathan Karoly’s playing of the Elgar Concerto less than compelling; some cellists, like some singers, do not find their full energy in the afternoon.