Anyone who disparages the idea of a whole season of virtually one composer should get themselves to the next Northwest Sinfonietta concert. In Saturday night’s Part Two of its Beethoven Revealed series for this year, the chamber orchestra showed—after an initial run-up of Schubert and Mendelssohn—just how playing lots of the same composer can get musicians into a really rocking groove, and hook an audience too.

But this Sinfonietta season isn’t all Beethoven. Persuaded by a practical-minded board, director Christophe Chagnard has included some other master composers from around the same, turn-of-the-nineteenth-century period, composers which put Beethoven into an interesting perspective while nevertheless feeling a little like a warm-up.

Schubert’s Overture in D major, “In The Italian Style,” opened the show with understatement. The composer’s sashaying _ theme, Italianate yet punctuated with some very alpine-sounding horns, was given a gravitas far more Germanic than Italian, while the allegro section chugged along without any dramatic chiaroscuro shading from Chagnard. His generally subtle approach mixed with a less-than-wholehearted spirit from the orchestra for an effect more Bavarian folkdance than Italian knock-off.

Next came Mendelssohn, just 19 when Beethoven died, yet with a far more conservative sensibility. His choral “Verleih uns Frieden,” played here with orchestral accompaniment, offered a nice opportunity for Pacific Lutheran University’s Dr. Richard Nance to conduct his own choir, Choral Union, something that doesn’t often happen in choir/orchestra concerts. While the balance was weighed too much on the beautifully weaving string counterpoint, the choir sang well, with nuanced phrasing and build from Nance.

The deeply comforting hymn made an excellent prelude to Beethoven’s Fantasia in C minor for piano, chorus and orchestra, the piece known as the “rehearsal” for the more famous ninth symphony (which the Sinfonietta will play in April.) Yet the rendition was disappointing. The piano soloist, while not exactly playing a concerto, needs to almost channel the fiery spirit of Beethoven in the angst-ridden introduction: Jairo Geronymo, former Northwest resident, instead took a pedestrian tempo riddled with glitches. While the accuracy improved, the drama didn’t, despite fine singing and a vigorous ending from the orchestra.

After interval, though, the groove happened. Beethoven’s exuberant eighth symphony was focused and intense from the start. The swinging _ theme of the first movement alternated with a terrifically rough staccato; the slightly driving edge to the second movement’s tempo was exactly like the tyrannical metronome it imitated. A peasant heaviness in the third movement mixed soaring melody and heavy-thighed dancing; while Chagnard’s rocketing tempo in the fourth kept everyone playing to their limit. Some sections shone: an compelling bass sound from Moria Neals and Anna Doak, light-fingered cello virtuosity from Mara Finkelstein, simply awesome timpani entries from Phillip Hanson. Some problems with woodwind audibility and balance could be solved by risers, but the string sound was superb, glossy on the edge and full in the middle. By the triumphant “neverending” finale, the audience was on the edge of their seats.

And the best part is, there’s lots more Beethoven to come—and the groove can only get deeper.

Rosemary Ponnekanti: 253-597-8568; rosemary.ponnekanti@thenewstribune.com