The Russian National Orchestra, fresh off a plane from Moscow and on the heels of an Asia-wide tour, performed at the Lincoln Theater in Yountville on Saturday as part of Festival del Sole, a 10-day series of special events celebrating the arts in Napa Valley. The orchestra was joined by the San Francisco choir, Volti, and four opera soloists, and together they performed Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and a set of new works by California philanthropist and composer Gordon Getty.

Volti is a remarkable group of talented and syncopated vocalists. The Russian symphony may have shone brightly Saturday during the Beethoven masterwork, but Volti managed to out-perform them throughout the early-evening concert with clear, emotive and enthusiastic voices, offering the audience a unique and delightful listening experience.

World-renowned, Grammy-winning conductor Kristjan Järvi was originally scheduled to conduct the performance but was unable to attend Saturday. In his place, the near-capacity crowd was treated to the art of brilliant conductor James Gaffigan, who recently served as associate conductor of the San Francisco Symphony and currently leads the Lucerne Symphony Orchestra in Switzerland.

Gaffigan performed admirably, demonstrating terrific energy and flair. The orchestra members, however, did not seem able to give their utmost attention to his direction, perhaps due in part to their punishing travel schedule. They were strongest in the Beethoven piece, especially the string component, and perhaps weakest in sharpness of timing overall.

Saturday’s program began with a collection of choral works by Getty. His sweet, subdued “Beauty Come Dancing” opened the song series, followed by some classic texts Getty set to his own music: “Ballet Russe” by John Masefield, “There Was a Naughty Boy” by John Keats, “For a Dead Lady” by Edwin Arlington Robinson, and “Those Who Love” by Sara Teasdale.

“Ballet Russe” was the first to reveal the glorious capabilities of the choir with its deeper emotion and vibrancy, though some intermittent piano parts sounded oddly out of place. In “Naughty Boy,” a playful song with an appropriately mischievous tone, single strings are plucked at key moments throughout, communicating the theme — but also genuinely annoying the ear! “For a Dead Lady” contained perhaps the most luxuriant strains of music in the set, bringing out a lovely combination of sounds, in particular from the strings and reeds, the latter of which continued to dominate aesthetically in the final song of the series, Teasdale’s “Those Who Love.”

The second half of the evening’s performance proceeded without intermission. Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony opens gently, building softly with the entry of an assertive drum beat, which sounded late at Saturday’s performance. Then, just at the point where the piece really begins to take flight, the Russian orchestra’s strings proved they were up to the task, revealing a precision and an enthralling tone that awakened the room.

Volti shone brightly here, as did guest soloists Amber Wagner (soprano), Kelley O’Connor (mezzo-soprano), John Tessier (tenor) and Brandon Cedel (bass-baritone). Unfortunately, the soloists sounded poorly miked in general, though Wagner and Cedel’s voices nevertheless filled the auditorium with clear and beautiful sound.

The final movement of the Ninth Symphony, which incorporates orchestra, chorus and soloists, was the best-executed segment of the orchestra’s performance, earning all a well-deserved, near-unanimous standing ovation. Gaffigan certainly saved the best for last.

If You Go
Festival del Sole, featuring concerts and luncheon and dinner events, continues through Sunday, July 26. For details and passes call 707-346-5052 or visit www.festivaldelsole.com.

Elizabeth Warnimont is a freelance writer specializing in the performing arts. She holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from the University of California-Santa Barbara.