Boston Philharmonic Performs Harbison, Brahms and Schumann
Stylus, October 15, 2005
Posted: 2005-11-08 11:37:08
John Harbison This program called "Imaginative Structures", opened the season for the Boston Philharmonic's twenty seventh season. I had the great pleasure and honor to attend the Saturday night performance at Jordan Hall with my brother who was in from New York for the weekend. I did my best to provide a synopsis of all the wonderful music I've had the opportunity to hear the orchestra play over the years and specifically, over the past two years since I've written reviews. Though we were unable to attend Benjamin Zander's pre-concert lecture (a misfortune!), we took our seats with anticipation. My brother, a graduate of Harvard, had not been inside Jordan Hall for over 25 years. A former superb violinist, himself, he is particularly fond of the Romantic composers. He had never heard John Harbison's work before so I told him he was in for a rewarding musical experience.
Johannes Brahms' "Tragic Overture, opus 81" began robustly with strong violins, solid timpani and dynamic buildup and modulation into the more serene pacing of the strings. Though the combination of strings and horns was potent, there was a slight tempo problem with the cellos for a time. The violas and violins propelled the work forward, followed by a lyrical sweep into a fuller orchestral sound, carrying muscular and spiritual vitality. Here the horns were strong, joined by excellent drums. Though the horns were slightly off the mark from time to time, the overture was a solid performance.
John Harbison wrote in the program notes that the viola was his "instrument of choice". He went on to cite its middle range sound and "slightly melancholic tone quality". He hoped while young to be able to grow hands large enough to play it. It's no surprise, then, that Harbison would compose his "Concerto for Viola and Orchestra" following in the tradition of classical viola compositions. Kim Kashkashian, viola soloist, joined the orchestra, launching into the Con moto, rubato movement with a disturbing melody that was bent a little sideways. Good horn work developed, followed by the entrance of Ms. Kashkashian whose viola sang, dark-voiced in a difficult world. The flute and percussion accompaniment at this point was marvelous. Ms. Kashkashian played on with her sustained, rich and lyrical wandering voice. The woodwinds supported dissonant unease and an interesting disjunction appeared between the flutes, orchestra and viola. The Allegro brilliante movement developed more percussively, a little suggestive of Stravinsky, including broken orchestral phrases. The Andante opened with high volume and then became contemplative with the viola continuing its song. There was a return to the "bent" melody, followed by the persistent viola. The Molto allegro gioioso developed with the viola straining against the orchestra to maintain equilibrium. Excellent percussion enhanced this tension. There were lots of metrical shifts here and both the orchestra and Ms. Kashkashian were tremendous. This was the high point of the evening, earning a standing ovation from a number of us in the audience. Ms. Kashkashian then played a stunning solo viola piece as an encore within the program that was pure deeply felt poetry, bringing tears to more than a few of us. The Harbison "Concerto for Viola and Orchestra" and Ms. Kashkashian's solo were a triumph for the composer, violist and orchestra. The Concerto was strikingly original as a composition; the playing was clear, vibrant and virtuosic. A luminous concert experience.
Finally on the program was Robert Schumann's "Symphony No. 3 in E-Flat Major, opus 97". The Lebhaft first movement began vigorously. It was well-paced and showed a good balance of strings, horns and woodwinds. The Scherzo opened a window into a beautiful breathing space. The woodwinds faltered a little here.The Nicht schnell suggested pervasive elegance. The Feierlich movement had a haunted beginning. Despite a bit of off-key horn work, the orchestra re-asserted itself more sonorously, met by the strings with two distinct layers of sound. The Lebhaft was an abrupt dynamic shift from the preceding reflective movement. Once more, the horns had a few problems, though the strings and woodwinds were energetic and expressive. This was a good performance and brought closure to a memorable concert.
Carolyn Gregory
