BUTLER TWP — Butler County Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Tanya Satteson stole the show at the “Great Romantics” concert in the auditorium of the Butler Intermediate High School on Saturday night.

As concertmaster Satteson usually occupies the first chair, first violin to help lead the orchestra — a position she relinquished for the evening to allow her to shine as the solo artist of the concert.

In a tour de force performance of Felix Mendelssohn’s glorious “Violin Concerto in E Minor,” Satteson repeatedly brought the audience to its feet with virtuosic style and interpretation.

The first movement was played fast with great passion which Satteson achieved excellently. Her exceptional control and mastery of the intricacies of the music were impressive.

The second movement entitled “Andante” featured a slower, more lyrical tempo. Satteson employed silken bowing and exquisite development to twine the tranquil melody line into audible lace.

The final movement began with a charming, but more assertive, rhythm which accelerated into a fanciful conclusion that joyfully displayed the artistry of both soloist and orchestra through the complex passages.

Mendelssohn’s concerto permitted Satteson, Conductor Matthew Kraemer and the Butler County Symphony Orchestra to show the tremendous talent we are privileged to hear on a regular basis here in Butler.

The Mendelssohn was framed by two other works in the concert. First was Franz Schubert’s delightful “Rosamunde Overture.” The work opens with ominous chord progressions in the lower-pitched instruments that are soon countered by happier melody lines in the wind and higher strings.

In a series of contrasts, the piece builds to a lively tempo that is at once frantic and fun.

Following the intermission Maestro Kraemer skillfully led the orchestra in Antonin Dvorak’s “Symphony No. 7 in D Minor.” The dark drama of the first movement soon adopted a quicker pace full of power. It again morphed into a lighter, more pastoral theme which managed to remain majestic.

The second movement, “Poco Allegro,” reversed the process, beginning with a gently sweeping, placid melody. A gradual crescendo into a grander section was followed by an equally gradual decrescendo to end the movement in peace.

“Scherzo: Vivace” was appropriately playful. The swirling, spinning melody transformed into a more agitated tempo and the movement ended with lively, almost prancing rhythms.

In the “Finale,” Dvorak returned to the fast tempo, this time imbuing it with strength. The bold musical line grew faster and louder then reverted to a reprise of the original pastoral theme before resorting to more abrupt rhythms and a resounding conclusion.

Throughout the evening, the orchestra handled the wild transitions with skill and precision.