Which arches from the soft and small to the bold and vigorous

A Far Cry string orchestra is an airtight ensemble whose mastery of a broad spectrum of dynamics and timbres not only generates an exciting musical experience but makes a strong case for dispensing with the traditional, baton-wielding leader. A chorus of unified voices and bodies, the group creates a performance synergy that works on a visceral level. Their bodies, bowing and breathing, moved in unison like a corps of dancers or trees surging in the wind, reflecting the undulating shapes of the music’s phrases.

Also, the program at Jordan Hall was brilliantly conceived with each work opening a conceptual path for the succeeding piece, though there were bumps along the road. “Divisions” was the unifying theme of the evening, introduced in the program via a rather corny metaphor: “This is your shovel. The music is your earth. Dig in.” The idea only mucks up the clean and sharp notion established with “Divisions.” And there was a 15-minute delay before the start of the concert, followed by frantic and understaffed set-ups between pieces. Looking ahead to the rest of their season, A Far Cry has chosen one-word monikers for other programs as well: “Memories,” “Heartbeats,” and “Echoes.” My advice is to let the concept and the music do its work.

 

The static, straight-toned harmonies of Arvo Pärt’s Fratres opened the program as well as the mind of the listener. The composer’s minimalist style, which he himself calls “tintinabulum,” is largely inspired by medieval Christian and Eastern mysticism and overlapping cyclic notions of time. A clave and bass drum pattern sparsely introduces the work and continues to set apart what are essentially a set of variations on the strings; the variations sit atop a persistent, double bass drone throughout. What set this performance apart from recorded versions, and is clearly a hallmark of this orchestra, was its tremendous dynamic range, which arches from the soft and small to the bold and vigorous.