The Invisible Man...

Here is a nice review of Robert Spano's two recent concerts in New York: http://www.concertonet.com/scripts/review.php?ID_review=9056.  Obviously these were well received.  AMC recently made a comment, for which AMC was criticized about Mr. Spano's near invisibility at Atlanta's Symphony Hall this year.  AMC counted the number of times Mr. Spano appeared on the podium at a traditional classical concert this year.  Of the 25 concerts, he has performed and is scheduled to appear in 12 of them.  That is slightly less than half.  Does that equate to near invisibility? Well for an orchestra that has a very large operating deficit and a Music Director, i.e., Spano,  that earns about half a million per year, 50% fits AMC's definition.  There are several recent article's about the finances of US orchestra's and their perilous situations.  There have been cries for new business models, but ultimately discussants decry the lack of music education in schools.  AMC has suggested that one step would be to require that more concerts be conducted by their high priced music director's.  AMC stands by that recommendation  and though Spano received kudos in New York, better he stay in Atlanta and save the ASO of having to pay for the fee and expenses of guest conductors.  

Bernadette Peters

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Gala this year had a performance by Bernadette Peters.  Ms. Peters is well known for her work on Broadway, movies, television, and in children’s books.   Seeing her perform is to know that she is something special.  She commands the stage; she can be funny, sexy, dramatic, and did I say sexy?  Her performance of “Fever” was indeed steamy, but also full ofhumor.  I am not a fan of Broadway-style music, but she almost won me over.  She is a talented performer who is very comfortable with an audience, both on and off stage.  She looked wonderful and her body is quite toned; she must live with some kind of anti-gravity device!

A talented Moser....

On February 16, 2012, the Atlanta Symphony orchestra, under the direction of Roberto Minczuk, presented a concert consisting of:

Wagner- Prelude to Act I of Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg

Elgar- Cello Concerto in E minor

Mozart- Symphony No. 35 in D major, K. 385 (“Haffner)

Strauss- Suite from Der Rosenkavalier, Op. 59

The solo cellist in the Elgar was Johannes Moser.

Maestro Minczuk’s biography says that he is a Grammy and Emmy Award-winning conductor who is music director of the Calgary Philharmonic and principal conductor of the Brazilian Symphony in Rio de Janeiro.   Like the bios of most of his contemporaries, Minczuk’s says he is “…firmly established as one of his generation’s brightest talents.”  Who writes this stuff? 

The Wagner piece was a rousing way to begin the concert.  It is not too long and it provides a good taste of the master’s great orchestrations.  This can be treacherous music because of its thick orchestration.  Minczuk conducted without a score and it seemed that from time to time he let the brass overshadow the strings to a degree that the music became a blur.  The ASO strings could not be heard even where they are a very important part of the music. 

After the Wagner, there was a brief video that featured cellist Johannes Moser.  This was a very touching and emotional presentation.  It began with Moser narrating how a casket bearing the body of a soldier was removed from his airplane as it arrived in Atlanta.  It appeared as though Moser captured it on camera from inside the aircraft.  He noted the solemn ceremony that accompanied this most sorrowful of events.  Moser drew a parallel to the sadness that Elgar felt after the “War to end all wars” during the time he wrote the cello concerto.  Moser’s was a powerful presentation and a great lead in to the profound emotion and sadness in Elgar’s music. 

Elgar’s piece is beautiful, allowing the cello to express his dismay about conditions after World War I.  It is in four movements, with the first two played and last two played without interruption. This is very sad and introspective music that does not suffer from the lack of editing that I feel was apparent after hearing the ASO’srecent performance of Elgar’s First symphony.   Minczuk conducted from the score and   Moser’s playing was nothing short of incredible.  He has a large tone that never deteriorates into edginess.  He can be aggressive when needed, and subtle where required.  His strong playing is a reminder why he is a highly regarded soloist and others should best remain in the cello section of a great orchestra.  Moser and Minczuk seemed to be in agreement about the music and there seemed only to be seamlessness between the cello solos and the orchestral passages.  Per Atlanta tradition, there was a standing ovation with many curtain calls for Moser and Minczuk.  In this instance, the SO was appropriate and well deserved.  Moser returned the love by playing one portion of Bach’s Suites for Unaccompanied Cello.  The music was elegant and requires absolute control over the bow.  Moser played grand fortes and hushed pianissimos and his use of the bow was stunning.  Particularly notable were the very piano staccatos written by Bach.  Moser’s performance was faultless.  By the way, here is Moser’s Wikipedia entry: “Johannes Moser (born 1979) is a German-Canadian cellist who has performed with many of the world's leading orchestras.”  Now that’s modesty.

After the intermission, the Mozart symphony was performed.  This of-heard performed piece was ably led by Minzcuk, without benefit of a score, and played impeccably by the ASO.  The strings were particularly golden in the elegant second movement Andante and in the fourth movement Presto. 

The Richard Strauss Suite is a blockbuster, featuring a large orchestra with enhanced percussion.   Its waltz sections are very familiar and seemed to resonate greatly for the ASO audience.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with schmaltz from time to time.  Minzcuk again conducted without a score and the ASO’s playing was first rate.  The twenty-five minute long piece lasted for what seemed just a few minutes.  It was a great performance. 

There were several things of note in this program and performance.  I have already noted the grand playing of the ASO.  I have also noted Minczuk’s conducting three quarters of the pieces without benefit of the score.  As a result, page turning and attending to the written page did not have to come between him and the music making.  Minzcuk does not provide a strong beat with this right hand and he does not seem to use his left to control the orchestra’s playing, yet all of these pieces were interpreted and played wonderfully.  In fact, Minzcuk’s style of conducting looks like he is mimicking the music rather than leading it.  Nevertheless he was impressive.  It is also interesting that the ASO can respond very well to guest conductors.  Their tremendous playing under the leadership of Van Zweden and Remmereit were examples of this.  Certainly chemistry has something to do with it, as well as the talent of both the lead and the leader. 

Finally, I note that the principal players of the symphony are frequently absent in the chamber-sized orchestra setting, and sometimes in concerti. It seems to happen more often at the ASO’s performances that with other orchestras.  I have no idea what that means! 

Mahler's sublime Second Symphony

On January 26, The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, under Principal Guest Conductor, Donald Runnicles, presented Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in C minor, “Resurrection.”  The soloists were Nicole Cabell, Soprano, and Kelley O’Connor, Mezzo-soprano.  The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus was prepared by Norman Mackenzie.

This symphony is one of the greats in the late romantic period.  Mahler wrote large, but never sprawling, symphonies whose themes usually have to do with those things that make us human.  I have been listening to Mahler for decades, but must admit that I never really understood them.  But recently, I had the pleasure of hearing Maestro Manfred Honeck and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra play Mahler’s First.  Honeck’s interpretation highlights the folk-themes of the music and he plays particular attention to the layering of the music so that the inner voices do not get lost in a smear of sound.  Honeck’s interpretation is wonderful and moved me to a much greater appreciation of Mahler’s genius.

 

The ASO performance was stunning.  Runnicles has started to seat the sections of the orchestra in the European style (basses to the left, second violins to the right, with the celli adjacent to them).   This arrangement causes the soundboards of the low strings face directly into the auditorium.  Mahler’s music is rich with low strings and the seating arrangement provides a wonderful showcase for it. 

Mahler wrote this symphony for a very large orchestra, augmented with enhanced percussion, two harps, and organ.  At several points throughout the work, musicians leave to play-off stage.  The effect is stunning, particularly when Mahler’s music describes the clarion call of the four horsemen of the apocalypse.   Mahler wrote some grand fortes, using the full resources of the orchestra, but especially the low brass, tam-tams, and, two sets of tympani.  In spite of Symphony Hall’s problematic acoustics, this mass of sound was rich without being strident.  I noticed that some of the musicians took to wearing earplugs at the height of the sound, especially with the French horn players sitting next to the cymbals and tam-tams.   In several passages the reeds were required to play with their bells facing out toward the audience so as to increase their volume when they were massed with the rest of the orchestra.  The reeds never sounded harsh or squeaky.  Special kudos goes to Christina Smith, principal flute, and David Coucheron, concertmaster for outstanding solo work. 

Much has been said about the glories of the ASO chorus.  Their diction is precise, as if only one voice was singing.  Their performance was outstanding, bringing strength and beauty to Mahler’s lyrics.  Both Cabell and O’Connor are strong soloists.  Both were able to produce volume without losing their tonal quality.   Ms. O’Connor has a warm mezzo voice that fit perfectly with Mahler’s musings about earthly life, death, and eternity.  Both women had to sit and face the audience for a long time before their solos.  Ms. O’Connor took the opportunity to revel in Mahler’s music.  It was nice to see a musician enjoy the music to which she is a part. 

There was one long standing ovation for this performance.  It was well deserved and it seemed so much more genuine than the obligatory S.O. that ASO audiences give at nearly every performance.   

Finally, there was nary a seat empty in Symphony Hall.  That was nice to see. 

  

The ASO and James Ehnes

On January 19, the Atlanta Symphony, conducted by Principal Guest conductor Donald Runnicles, featured a program including:

Britten:  Violin Concerto, Opus 15

Beethoven:  Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Opus 55 (Eroica)

The soloist in the Britten was James Ehnes. 

Mr. Ehnes is a Canadian violinist who has performed extensively internationally and has released several solo recordings.  I had the pleasure of hearing the Ehnes string quartet last year in a noon-time performance at Mercer University in Macon, GA.  It was, for me, one of the best chamber recitals last season.  It included a powerhouse performance of a Bartok String Quartet.  So as a result, I think I was predisposed to like Mr. Ehnes’ performance with the ASO.  And, as fate would have it, I did.  He plays with a rich, golden tone that is never strident.  His bowing is precise and he and Maestro Runnicles seemed to have unified vision about the Britten. 

The ASO performed the Eroica as one would expect, that is, with first class playing.  This is one of Beethoven’s oft played works and sometimes it requires a special performance to make it special again.  The ASO did just that.