Youth Orchestra Gives Piece a Bright Premiere

All pre-professional orchestras try to develop their musicians, but few give much thought to developing the repertory. One that has is the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra, which has a consistent interest in new music. Saturday the YMF ensemble under music director Wilson Hermanto and with soloist Delores Stevens performed the world premiere of “Emma McChesney,” a new piano concerto by Maria Newman.

Or at least a newly revised work, apparently also known by different titles. In any case, as currently constituted, “Emma McChesney” is a pretty picaresque portrait of Edna Ferber’s short-story character. It has a bright, open pizazz in its more rollicking moments, and little tension anywhere; even the robbery scene, with its sudden bangs, plays more as comic menace.

Best was the reflective second movement, with its serene eloquence. Stevens spun it out with sustained grace and warm, soft tone. She seemed challenged by the rampant octaves elsewhere but otherwise brought sparkle and verve to the assignment.

Hermanto accompanied sympathetically. Newman’s scoring is rich and imaginative, and the YMF players gave it color and character.

The program, and the orchestra’s 46th season, closed with Berlioz’s “Symphonie fantastique.” Given the regularity with which professional orchestras schedule the piece, it should be required reading for ensembles such as this.

Unfortunately, often it did not sound much beyond a reading performance here. Hermanto kept attention on the main currents, gliding over transitional hiccups and offering his capable woodwind principals as much of the foreground as they could seize.