Who knew two summers ago that in less than a year the whole world would be turned upside down because of a pandemic, the likes of which hadn’t been seen since 1918? Who could have predicted that the following would ensue when this mighty little orchestra returned to the stage at Lake Placid Center for the Arts two years later?

– the orchestra members would sit as far away from each other as reasonably possible

– Mr. Malina and the string section would wear masks onstage

– the whole audience would be checked for proof of COVID vaccination and proof of ID before being allowed in

– the whole audience would wear masks for the final concert

– the concerts would be shortened to about an hour with no intermissions

– a noticeable number of audience members would choose to stay home to watch the concerts live-streamed on their TVs instead

– no receptions afterward until the final concert

– no guest soloists brought in from any exotic nations

-no Betsy Baxter in her distinctive high heels to present flowers to any of the soloists

– no performance of Haydn’s “Farewell Symphony” at the final concert Despite all this, the shows still went on, and the crowds kept coming back. Last Sunday’s show began with some Jewish wedding music by Canadian composer Srul Glick that featured Sinfonietta member Amitrai Vardi on solo clarinet in Glick’s “The Klezmer Wedding for Clarinet and String Orchestra.”

This piece begins with what sounds like tributes to Mahler and Gershwin, both of Jewish heritage, as the strings come in on the opening with a sforzando just like the beginning to Mahler’s 2nd Symphony does. The clarinet then comes in with a one-octave glissando like in the beginning to “Rhapsody in Blue.” It can be played quickly, or, as in Mr. Vardi’s case, milked for all it’s worth.

From there the piece takes off in a minor key but retains a festive feel to it as if the stage were filled with revelers dancing a lively hora by circling around with their arms on each other’s shoulders, stepping forward together to join in the center, and then back pedaling to return to a circle. Meanwhile, with about two minutes remaining in this roughly 10-minute piece, the music comes to almost a complete stop.

Almost. With its pulse barely beating, the piece gradually picks up speed like a train leaving the station until it returns to cruising speed.

With the various meter changes between three-beat and two-beat patterns, combined with the sudden change in tempo followed by a gradual change back up to speed, Mr. Malina’s baton had little time to relax lest any of the rail cars tumble off.

This was a fun piece with comic elements and considerable complexity that Mr. Vardi handled very well with the usual high level of skill and professionalism this audience can expect from such a professional group. In recent years this writer has been amazed by some of the comments made by local residents who had resigned themselves to the notion that just because this orchestra has the name “Lake Placid” in its title it must therefore consist of a bunch incompetent amateurs spending their retirements trying to chase unfulfilled dreams.

Hardly.

They’re all highly trained and skilled professionals from all over the world who belong to other orchestras and/or teach in prestigious conservatories such as The Juilliard School. (Ann Alton, are you listening here?) This is just their summer gig.

The evening concluded with Beethoven’s 2nd Symphony in observance of his 251st birthday coming up in December. His 250th would have been observed last summer if only there had been a concert season. Mr. Malina said this might have been the greatest symphony ever written if only Beethoven hadn’t written any more of them.

This audience is well familiar with the piece, it having been a favorite of Mr. Spigelman’s also. Beethoven’s early pieces work well with the Sinfonietta because the orchestras during that time were comparable in size. The orchestra didn’t seem to mind playing it, and the audience certainly didn’t seem to mind listening to it judging by the “Ving Rhames” standing O it received.

Given all the unfamiliar conditions the orchestra members had to work under, to include this new director fellow driving the train up there on the podium with his magic wand in his right hand, it should feel safe to conclude that from the standpoint of those in the audience, everything seemed to come off smoothly, the music maintained its very professional sound, and that new director fellow on the podium deserves considerable credit for driving this train through all the unfamiliar terrain of this being just his first year on the job. Now throw in all the craziness involved with the worst global pandemic in 102 years, and yet the train still arrived at the station on schedule, so to speak.

Who could ask for anything more?