brahms, nielsen and rachmaninoff

Tonight we played the second concert of this series (last night we played in Salem), featuring Brahms’ Tragic Overture, Nielsen’s Sixth Symphony “Simplice”, and Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto, with soloist Yuja Wang.

Lots of stuff to talk about in this program.  First of all, as a performer, it’s a very densely packed bunch of music.  The Brahms is such a tightly composed work, it gives one no respite in which to catch one’s breath.  It’s nice to do this work, I cannot remember the last time I performed it, but I know that it wasn’t here with the Oregon Symphony (who last performed it – at least on a classical series – in 1991.  The Academic Festival Overture seems to be performed a lot more often.

The Nielsen, as I’ve written already, is both difficult and unfamiliar.  His 4th and 5th symphonies are more often performed (though both Osmo Vänska in Minnesota and Alan Gilbert in New York are in the midst doing complete cycles over several seasons), and as Carlos Kalmar noted in his remarks before the performance tonight, it might be one’s only chance to see the work performed live here with the OSO (indeed, these performances are OSO premieres).  I’m finding myself really warming to the piece, after getting over its technical demands.  It really is quite charming, and is a virtuoso showpiece for the orchestra, and heavily features the percussion section (which has been getting a workout these past two weeks).

Finally, we have the Rachmaninoff 3rd piano concerto.  Just packed with notes from beginning to end, and not just for the pianist.  Add in the fact that there are lots of corners that one must be alert to navigate, and it’s not at all an autopilot piece like some other concertos can become.  I’m not quite sure what I think of Yuja Wang at this point.  Her technique is formidable, for sure.  There is nothing she cannot play, the Rachmaninoff seems like child’s play to her.  But I found myself, once the awe wore off, wanting a bit more poetry to go with the pyrotechnics.  She’s often mentioned in the same breath as Lang Lang, and they seem to be opposite sides of the same coin.  Lang Lang overwhelms with his personality, but he seems to be putting musical ideas out there (even if they are sometimes ‘out there’).  Wang seems to be the complete opposite, putting herself totally at the service of the music, but at the expense of some personality.

POSTSCRIPT: During the Rachmaninoff, Carlos seemed to take a bad landing on his right leg.  I’m not sure if that’s the knee that’s been giving him trouble over the years, but hopefully he’ll bounce back quickly!

PPS: Just heard from Carlos that it wasn’t his knee, but his leg.  He says there will be less ‘jumping around’ tonight.