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Sep 27
Pacific Symphony, Marc-André Hamelin, piano |
| PROGRAM:
R.Strauss- Don Juan, Op.20, Mozart- Piano Concerto No. 17 in
G. K453, Ravel- Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, Suite No. 2
from Daphnis & Chloe. Carl St. Clair, conductor |
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his week on PBS, a new seven-part
documentary, simply titled “The War”, chronicles the
trials and tribulations of war-torn American families during the
Second World War. It is a labor of love for its producer Ken
Burns, who sought to understand how the different ethnic and
socioeconomic strata of the American society coped with the war
and coexisted with one another. The entire series is nicely
tied together by Wynton Marsalis’ inspired musical score.
In many ways, Maurice Ravel’s musical
contributions to the First World War – La Valse
and the Piano Concerto for the Left Hand being the best
known – were meant to tie the different peoples and countries
together in one common language of love and optimism. Ravel,
the composer, and Wittgenstein, the pianist, fought on different
sides during the war but came together after the war. It was a
classic case of art triumphant over evil. The triumphant spirit
was hugely evident in the performance by pianist Marc-André
Hamelin, who made an imperious entry in the opening bars of
the concerto. The orchestra was superb in its precision and
brio under the skillful baton of Carl St. Clair. The
dreamy, jazz-flavored episode was sensitively handled. The
Left-Hand Concerto and the Daphnis et Chloé Suite No. 2
both showcased the brilliant virtuosity of the Pacific Symphony
players, particularly Benjamin Lulich’s superfine clarinet
playing. The sheer colors and brilliance unleashed by the
orchestra were truly astounding.
The bold, swaggering Don Juan of
Richard Strauss was faithfully painted by the orchestra in big,
brash strokes of tonal colors. What I missed, however, was the
highly passionate and sensuous playing in the love scene that’s
found on my old recording of Fritz Reiner and the Chicago
Symphony from the 1950’s.
Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 17 in G
Major (K.453) got off to an iffy start with the soloist
hitting some wrong notes and indulging in over-articulated
phrasing. The superb acoustics of the Segerstrom Concert Hall
did not help his case. Things improved somewhat in the Andante
(a precursor to Barbarina’s minor-mode aria in Le Nozze di
Figaro), where Mr. Hamelin’s deliberate tempo and a
well-judged pause from maestro St. Clair added much to the
poignancy of the music. The rondo finale was exciting and
cheerful as it should be.
In the end, it was the happy collaboration
of the orchestra and the soloist that transcended all
criticism. Just as Ken Burns’ “The War” showed America
at its finest hour, last Thursday night’s concert showed the
Pacific Symphony fully in its elements, auspiciously heralding a
season of great concerts to come.
For information on the Pacific
Symphony's 2007-2008 season, visit
www.pacificsymphony.org
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October
2 Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano
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PROGRAM: Mozart-Cantata "Die ihr des unermesslichen
Weltalls"K.619, Strauss- "Staenchen", "Die Nacht", "All mein
Gedanken", "Morgen", "Zueignung", Duparc- "La vie anterieure",
Chanson triste, Phidyle, Poulenc-Voyage a' Paris, Hotel, Les
chemins de l'amour, Heggie- Monologue from Masterclass, Britten-
Evening, Copland- Why do they shut me out of Heaven?
Wolf-Ferrari- Rispetto, Puccini- Morirer? Sole e amore
(Mattinata) |
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he Philharmonic Society of Orange County has a long and
illustrious history of presenting serious classical music in an
area of Southern California that is better known for its high
surf than for its high art. The Vienna Philharmonic, the Berlin
Philharmonic, pianist Murray Perahia, the Vienna Boys Choir,
conductors Daniel Barenboim and Claudio Abbado, and now, soprano
Kiri Te Kanawa, have all passed through and left their indelible
marks. The erstwhile land of citrus crops has grown and matured
into a major arts center in the U.S.
At 63, the age at which many singers are still carrying on
with diminished resources, Kiri has wisely decided to make her
exit – with as much grace and dignity as Mozart's Countess she
so famously portrayed on stage – on a Farewell tour that took
her to Southern California last Tuesday night.
Fifteen years ago, I first saw Kiri Te Kanawa in San
Francisco Opera’s Capriccio and promptly declared it “in
terms of sheer beauty and loveliness of sound, the most perfect
lyric soprano voice I have ever heard”. In the intervening
years that followed, that initial assessment not only had not
waivered but, if anything, been validated time and again. The
basic timber of the voice has changed remarkably little – pure
silver and velvet that some find to be “coolly detached”, while
others relish in its soft caresses. Whichever side of the Kiri
camp your sympathies may lie, you cannot deny her charismatic
stage presence and her uncanny ability to connect with her
audiences on an emotional as well as spiritual level. In
Strauss’ famous Morgen, Ms. Te Kanawa sang the opening
line softly in half-tone, distilling from the music the dreamy
languor and wordless ecstasy that made time stand still in
rapturous wonder. Pianist Julian Reynolds lent a
sensitive hand as an equal creative partner rather than just an
accompanist.
Besides Strauss, Ms. Te Kanawa also excelled in songs by
Duparc and Poulenc. The French melodies lay comfortably in the
middle of her range and showed her voice in the most flattering
light. Inevitably, the voice of silver has acquired a patina of
age; the sheer loveliness of timber, and of spirit, in the
singing remains blissfully intact.
The remainder of the program showcased the impish wit and
charm of this ageless diva, in an international collection of
lighthearted songs by Heggie, Britten, Copland and Wolf-Ferrari,
interspersed with humorous intros and reminiscenses. Someone at
the U.N. ought to nominate Kiri for the post of Ambassador of
Music and World Peace. Maybe the world would be a better
place for it.
Tuesday also marked the first anniversary of the Renée and
Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, the OC’s new crown jewel for
classical music. Kudos for the Segerstroms for this marvelous
valhalla of music, and big kudos for the Philharmonic Society
for bringing an opera legend to Southern California. Thank you
Kiri, we shall miss you dearly.
Visit
www.philharmonicsociety.org
for information on the Philharmonic Society of Orange County's
2007-2008 season.
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October
5, 7 Angela Hewitt, piano |
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PROGRAM: J.S. Bach - Well-Tempered Clavier, Books I & II |
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hen Angela Hewitt played in the OC a
year ago, it was as one of the duo pianists in Mozart’s
Concerto for Two Pianos and made an amiable though fleeting
impression. This time around, however, she came with double
barrels blazing – playing Books I and II of J.S. Bach’s
Well-Tempered Clavier with wonderful polish and dazzling
Technicolor. |
Playing on a fantastic-sounding Fazioli
10.7-foot concert grand (longer than a Boesendorfer or a
Steinway model “D”), Hewitt was able to articulate a marvelous
range of timber and color and turn elegant phrases that brought
these 48 Preludes and Fugues to life. Starting from the
soft-as-silk C-major Prelude (Book I), to the exhilarating
virtuosity of No.15 G-major Fugue (Book I), to the gentle,
pulsating lyricism of No.22 B-flat minor Prelude (Book II),
Hewitt made a convincing case for Bach as the most ‘romantic’ of
composers. During her playing, there was a feeling of absolute
piety and devotion to the task at hand, her arms raising high in
the air as if in a prayer, her body swaying and rollicking to
the maximum energy of a fugue. Hewitt brought a sense of
physicality and poetry to these works matched by few other
pianists.
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Clearly Hewitt is on a mission, a
missionary who is relentless in her zeal to spread the Gospel
according to J.S. Bach. Her forty-city world tour of the ‘Bach
48’ (why not make it forty-eight cities and bill it as ’48 in
48’?) is a daunting proposition designed to challenge her
sanity and endurance as well as ours in the audience. This is
not for the faint of heart, only the diehard musical cognoscenti
need apply, and I saw quite a few of them in the audience, with
a score in hand, perusing and frequently nodding their heads in
approval. For the most part I found myself rejoicing with them
in the collective show of Bach mania.
Most, but not all. The rubato in
some of the contemplative, inner-looking fugues could be
excessive, thwarting their forward momentum (the No.8 D-sharp
minor of Book II, for example). But in the final analysis,
among today’s handful pianists who have tackled the daunting
‘Bach 48’, none is as consistently persuasive and illuminating
as Angela Hewitt. Bouquets also for Paolo Fazioli for his
fabulous, 'scientifically-engineered' instrument, which many
consider the finest piano in the world today.
Visit
www.philharmonicsociety.org
for information on the Philharmonic Society of Orange County's
2007-2008 season.
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October
13 Pasadena Symphony/Jonathan Haas, timpani |
PROGRAM: Silvestre Revueltas- Homage to Lorca. Hector
Berlioz- 3 Suites from Romeo et Juliette. Philip Glass-
Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists & Orchestra
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asadena may be in the suburbia of
Los Angeles, but it has everything a big city has to
offer. It is a small city that dares to dream big – the
Rose Parade, the Huntington Library (with its
under-construction 100-plus-acre Chinese Garden),
Caltech, and the world-class Pasadena Symphony.
Celebrating its 80th
Anniversary and its recent merger with the Pasadena
Pops, last Saturday’s season-opening concert mixed the
classic with the popular, the Romantic with the
Minimalist, the profane with the sublime. The result
was a smashing hit.
The unusual program opens with
Homage to Lorca by the now-forgotten Mexican
composer Silvestre Revueltas. It is orchestrated for a
brass band, strings, a flute, a piano, and a xylophone.
The slow, somber march for the brass band, punctuated by
the xylophone and piano chords, eerily evokes the
execution of the Mandarin prince from Puccin’s last
opera “Turandot”. Darkness soon gives way to
light and the work ends on an ebullient, festive note.
The performance by members of the Pasadena Symphony and
pianist Gloria Cheng was topnotch.
Hector Berlioz is probably the most
democratic of all composers. The Romantic period was
dominated by individual geniuses as demigods worshipped
by their most ardent fans. Franz Liszt was the piano
god, Nicolo Paganini the violin demon, Maria Malibran
the opera’s prima donna assoluta, and so on. In
the works of Berlioz, all instruments (and voices) are
treated equal and each is allowed its opportunity to
shine. There are no self-serving soloists, only a
democratic ensemble of virtuoso players whose aim is to
serve the drama and the poet. For Berlioz, there was no
greater poet than Shakespeare, and he poured all his
resources and orchestral wizardry into the composition
of Romeo et Juliette.
In this concert, we heard only the
three famous orchestral suites (sans the choral and
soloist parts) – The Queen Mab Scherzo was
predictably light and fleet, though without quite the
gossamer transparency I would have liked. The
Balcony Scene was a beautiful orchestral tableau of
sweet and tender love. The Capulet’s Party Scene
started with Romeo’s lonely entry (beautifully played on
the oboe by Leanne Becknell) and crescendoed into a
swirling, giddy dance of the most brilliant colors and
sonorities. It was as much a tribute to Berlioz’s
genius as to conductor Jorge Mester’s masterful (pun
intended) reading.
I have only one word for Philip
Glass’ Duo-Timpanist Concerto Fantasy – to borrow
a Hollywood term – a blockbuster. I had previously
reviewed timpanist
Jonathan
Haas' CD on these pages, so I knew I was in for a
treat. I wasn’t disappointed. Haas is, dare I say, the
Paganini of the timpani in his ability to conjure up a
whole new palette of sounds and shades heretofore
undreamed of on a timpani. I admit to be no fan of
Glass’ music in general, but with playing of such a high
caliber as this (and that of co-timpanist John Evans),
it made me sit up and listen – seriously.
This unusually strong show of force
in the opening augured well for the Pasadena Symphony’s
2007-2008 Season.
For future concerts and ticket
information go to
www.pasadenasymphony.org
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October
14 Los Angeles Master Chorale |
PROGRAM: Beethoven- Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage.
Brahms- A German Requiem (Ein deutsches Requiem).
Grant Gershon, conductor. Elissa Johnston, soprano, Stephen
Powell, baritone
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he performances of religious works
in the concert hall (or even the opera house) have
always been problematic. Ambient echoes and acoustics
account for much of the effect a religious work has upon
its audience. The more ‘live’ and reverberant the
hall’s acoustics, the greater the sense of religiosity
and spiritual connection the hearer will have with the
music, regardless of the virtues of the performance
itself. In the case of Brahms’ Eine deutsches
Requiem, the work sounds infinitely better in a
church than in a standard concert hall. |
Except the Walt Disney isn’t a standard
concert hall.
An instant classic since its opening in
2003, the Disney Hall has fabulously ‘live’ acoustics that
amplifies tenfold any crack or imperfection of a
performance. On the other hand, it makes any normal
music-making sound great, and any great performance sound
positively divine. The Los Angeles Master Chorale’s
season-opening concert of Eine deutsches Requiem was
just such a great performance.
Conductor and Master Chorale Director
Grant Gershon captured perfectly the spirit of this
work – the joy, the hope, the exultation of the glorious
afterlife awaiting our dearly departed. It is not a Requiem
of the usual fire-and-brimstone variety, but a comforting
affirmation that all is well in the afterlife, that death is
not something to be dreaded. Gershon coaxed some
beautifully nuanced playing and singing from his Master
Chorale and the Master Chorale Orchestra (some of the finest
freelancers around). The chorale ‘Wie lieblich sind
deine Wohnungen’ (how lovely is Thy dwelling place)
was supremely lyrical, accentuated by exquisite pizzicato
strings and shimmering flutes. The many choral fugues and
double-fugues were dispatched with tremendous brio, and
sounded absolutely ecstatic when combined with the joyous
pealing of the Disney Hall’s 6134-pipe organ (played by
William Beck). Baritone
Stephen Powell’s firm and incisive singing was a
pleasure in “Herr lehre doch mich” and “Siehe ich
sage euch ein Geheimnis”. Soprano Elissa Johnston,
whom I have admired on many previous occasions, was not on
good form and showed obvious intonation problems and a
widened vibrato at dynamics above mezza forte,
although her soft singing in “Ihr habt nun Traurigkeit”
was quite lovely.
Beethoven's Goethe-inspired choral study of sailing, Calm
Sea and Prosperous Voyage, was a nice seven-minute
warmup for the Brahms. The L.A. Master Chorale gave a
stirring and highly atmospheric account of this
mini-masterpiece.
Visit www.lamc.org for
information on L.A. Master Chorale's 2007-2008 season. |
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Truman C. Wang is editor-in-chief of Classical Voice,
whose articles have appeared in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, the
Pasadena Star-News, other Southern California publications, as well
as the Hawaiian Chinese Daily.
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