SYMPHONY REVIEW

Knowing that one of the works on the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra program this weekend was to be an arrangement of songs made famous by Elvis Presley, perhaps the first question to be answered is, did conductor Stephen Gunzenhauser wear a white spangled jumpsuit for the occasion?

Regrettably, no — however, he did enter the stage wearing an Elvis mask, setting the tone for a light-hearted, pop-influenced concert.

Peter Greiner's 1994 work, "Elvis Goes Baroque," is exactly that: Five of Presley's hit tunes transformed into Baroque concertos for solo trumpet, string orchestra and harpsichord (played by William Wright). Greiner, who was born in Slovakia (formerly Eastern Czechoslovakia), has made something of a specialty of bringing pop and classical to the same table, with sometimes surprising results.

Soloist Rodney Mack was a triple threat on piccolo trumpet, B-flat trumpet and flugelhorn, all played with energy and verve. The first song, "All Shook Up," played on piccolo trumpet, had a New Orleans vibe to it.

Rodney played the expressive "Can't Help Falling in Love" on the deeper flugelhorn, switching to B-flat trumpet for a last triumphant chorus. The piece ended in a series of diminished chords which gave it a distinctly smooth-jazzy vibe.

"Help Me Make it Through the Night" was another ballad, followed by the jaunty, swinging "If I Can Dream." That piece had a bluesier feel and featured concertmaster Netanel Draiblate.

The Presley-thon wound up with "Don't Be Cruel," which got the fugue treatment and featured some of Mack's wilder trumpet work. (Yes, that was a plunger he was using as a mute.)

With Tom Blanchard joining the ensemble on drum kit, Mack and the orchestra played an encore, trumpeter and bandleader Harry James' "Blues Concerto," a work that also incorporated some classical themes. Mack truly cut loose and swung in this work, to the delight of the audience.

Beginning the concert was the world premier of David Ott's Symphony No. 6. Ott, the 1995 Composer's Award winner, composed the work in just eight days in 2010.

"There is serious music and there is joyful music, and sometimes the two intermix," Gunzenhauser said in his introduction to the neo-classical work, and the piece did indeed combine seriousness with a certain amount of bubbly high spirits.

It was somewhat episodic in feel throughout its four movements, but all the episodes meshed smoothly, and the energy never failed. Slightly incongruous combinations of instruments — tympani and xylophone, trombones and glockenspiel — heightened the good humor.

The third movement is, unusually, a tango, with the lower strings providing a propulsive rhythm accented by rattling maracas and birdlike flute. The music was at home in both the past and the present.

The third featured composer was Aaron Copland. All three wrote for the movies, Gunzenhauser pointed out, and a portion of "Appalachian Spring" was used in the film "Witness." "We have freedom here, we have soul here and this music is rooted in our community identity," Gunzenhauser commented in his introduction to the work.

The work received a lovely performance by the orchestra, with plenty of expression and affection. It originally was composed as a ballet, and, like the Ott symphony, has an episodic feel.

The work, which includes the famous Shaker melody known as "Simple Gifts," is familiar. But hearing it again is like experiencing spring again: always new, always welcome.

The orchestra will perform today at 3 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 7:30 p.m.

epatton@lnpnews.com