post-concert thoughts

Tonight we did our first of two concerts of this classical subscription set. The works were Stravinsky’s Concerto in D for string orchestra, Lutoslawski’s Concerto for Orchestra, and Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 with pianist Stephen Hough. As you might guess, the theme of the concert is that all of the works are concertos, of a sort, each in their own way.

Igor Stravinsky [click photo to enlarge]

The Stravinsky is not a familiar piece to me, and I believe that it was a first performance for the OSO as well. If I’d run across it before, I must have thought it was the violin concerto, as that is in D major as well. It is one of a stream of illustrious pieces commissioned by Paul Sacher and the Basle Chamber Orchestra. It is firmly in the neo-Classical oeuvre of Stravinsky’s output. I’m sure that it sounds charming enough to the casual listener, but this piece is hard! It is almost nothing but rhythm, with all of the string sections playing nearly continuously. It (fittingly) is much like a Swiss watch – absolute precision is required to make it work, and the smallest mistake can wreak havoc on the entire ensemble! The performance seemed to go ok tonight – it wasn’t relaxed by any means, but it seemed to be more in the groove than in the dress rehearsal Saturday morning. The audience response was muted – just as it was for the Dubarton Oaks Concerto we did last season. It’s too bad, these are difficult works to play that have their charms – it’s no fun when the response isn’t there for all of our hard work. I hope that the audiences get used to hearing these lesser known gems of Stravinsky’s output – they’re worth hearing!

Witold Lutoslawski
photo credit: W.Pniewski

The Lutoslawski Concerto for Orchestra is a wonderful piece which really should be performed much more often. It received a warm reception from the audience tonight, which makes me happy – it’s a major pain in the butt to put together, but it’s worth the effort to get it done, and I’m glad that the audience appreciated the piece. As I think back on the concert, it really is mind-boggling that we put this concert together so quickly and that the orchestra is playing these pieces so well. It would have been unimaginable when I first came here in 1995, and it’s so gratifying to see and hear how far the orchestra has come. I sat in the audience for the last classical concert of the previous series, and was struck by the warmth and sophistication of the string sound, especially the violins. This orchestra is playing at the level of its peers with salaries two to three times ours. Anyway, as for the Lutoslawski, I hope that we get a chance to play some other of his major works, I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Johannes Brahms [click photo to enlarge]

Stephen Hough [click photo to enlarge]

After the intermission came the massive and glorious Piano Concerto No. 2 of Johannes Brahms. The genius pianist Stephen Hough was soloist. I cannot say enough how much I admire and enjoy the artistry of Mr. Hough. He is an amazing musician, and always brings a unique intensity to his performances, and never fails to illuminate the miraculous hidden corners of the repertoire that most other pianists miss. His power and clarity and probing musicianship in the Brahms were astounding tonight. This is literally a full symphony for piano and orchestra, and he inspired the orchestra to new heights with his performance this evening. I wish he could come back every season, but we are lucky to have him this weekend. If you come to one performance this season, make it this Monday night (April 30th).