CONCERT REVIEW: Mostly Beethoven
By Jay Nordlinger
New York Sun, August 8, 2005
Taking the stage at the Mostly Mozart Festival on Thursday night was the Deutsche Kammer philharmonie Bremen, or the German Chamber Orchestra of Bremen. The stage wasn't Avery Fisher Hall, but Alice Tully Hall. On the podium was the orchestra's artistic director, Paavo Jarvi, son of the esteemed conductor Neeme Jarvi. (They are Estonian.) The younger Mr. Jarvi's main post is in Cincinnati, where he is music director. The Bremen program was all Beethoven, or almost all Beethoven - Mr. Jarvi brought in a couple of foreigners, at the end.
The orchestra's "bio," printed in the program, had this to say: "A vital basis for the orchestra's extraordinary achievements is the soloistic quality and chamber-music approach of each individual orchestra member, which results in particularly intense musical communication within the orchestra and an extremely energetic orchestral sound." Isn't that for others to say? Yet others may well say it.
Members of the orchestra entered the stage together - in the European fashion - then turned to the audience and bowed, virtually as one. That was impressive. And it portended precision to come.
First on the program was Beethoven's Coriolan Overture, and Mr. Jarvi and the orchestra performed it like a house afire. Mr. Jarvi was wired, tense, insistent - so were his charges. This was Beethoven that was raw and punchy, but not too "period" (if you know what I mean). Mr. Jarvi's account had a nice inexorability, and reminded us that the "Coriolan" is, indeed, a drama. The horns had a bad moment, right on cue - but otherwise you could hardly fault the orchestra's playing.
Continuing the concert was Beethoven's Violin Concerto, in which Viktoria Mullova was soloist. Has it really been 20 years since this striking young woman won the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition? No - it's been 23. A few months ago, she played a recital at Carnegie Hall that was less distinguished than expected. It didn't live up to her reputation, or recordings - or ability. She was stronger in the Beethoven.
Her tone was not especially beautiful, but then she wasn't trying for that. It was a manly, useful tone, and could grow sweet in the upper register. Her passagework wasn't always silky, and her intonation was sometimes amiss (flat). Moreover, you might have asked for more tenderness in Beethoven's first movement: Ms. Mullova is rather severe, a cool customer. But this is a smart musician, and she communicated the essence of Beethoven. Her cadenza was by Ottavio Dantone, a harpsichordist, fortepianist, and conductor. (His name means Big Dante, by the way!) The cadenza was long, and interesting, and sympathetic: I dare say Beethoven would have approved.
Throughout the first movement - as, indeed, throughout the concert - Mr. Jarvi was commanding. Barely a note or thought went astray. Honestly, he looked like a martinet on that podium, and I mean that as a compliment. Rodzinski and Reiner got the job done, didn't they? The orchestra demonstrated a fine sense of line and extreme clarity.
Mr. Jarvi and the orchestra began the second movement, the Larghetto, with assurance, almost matter-of-factness. They did little to the music - they let it speak for itself. The tempo was somewhat fast, but then this is the preference these days. At one point, the orchestra was softer than soft - and that didn't really work, even in Alice Tully Hall. But the Larghetto was afforded its power. It was not sublime, as it can be, but it was moving. Ms. Mullova is straightforward in her musicality.
She played the final movement, the Rondo, with great character, and so did the orchestra. Even the bassoonist (no offense to bassoonists anywhere). Ms. Mullova had a few technical problems, but these were overridden - banished - by her musical conviction, a conviction born of understanding.
After intermission we had Beethoven's Third Symphony, the Eroica. This chamber orchestra is, in fact, recording all the Beethoven symphonies. Is there room for another set? There's always room for another set, if it's good.
Mr. Jarvi lit into the symphony while the audience was still applauding his entrance: That's the kind of performance it was, largely - no-nonsense, bold, defiant. It was also alive and exciting. Have you ever heard a Beethoven symphony - I mean, a big one - in a chamber hall? It is overpowering, even from a chamber orchestra. You felt sort of in the score. While Mr. Jarvi is no-nonsense, he's not without spontaneity, even some whimsy. Something funny occurred in the first movement: As he was shaping a trill, he looked at the audience, as if to say, "Isn't this nifty?" It was a little theatrical, and a little weird - but enjoyable.
The funeral march had its pathos, even if Mr. Jarvi's tempo was brisk, and the texture of the orchestra light. As for the rest of the symphony, one can say what I've said about Ms. Mullova: There were technical bobbles, but these were insignificant, in view of the larger music-making.
Mr. Jarvi would not leave the spotlight to Beethoven alone, offering two encores: a Brahms Hungarian Dance and Sibelius's Valse triste.
And may I close with something utterly extraneous? Before the downbeat of the Coriolan Overture, the man behind me said to his wife (or someone) excitedly, "Two of the bass players are women: I love it!" Remember this: Even if a Bremen concert isn't good, you have some female bass players. What is Beethoven, where race/gender is involved?
New York Sun, August 8, 2005
Taking the stage at the Mostly Mozart Festival on Thursday night was the Deutsche Kammer philharmonie Bremen, or the German Chamber Orchestra of Bremen. The stage wasn't Avery Fisher Hall, but Alice Tully Hall. On the podium was the orchestra's artistic director, Paavo Jarvi, son of the esteemed conductor Neeme Jarvi. (They are Estonian.) The younger Mr. Jarvi's main post is in Cincinnati, where he is music director. The Bremen program was all Beethoven, or almost all Beethoven - Mr. Jarvi brought in a couple of foreigners, at the end.
The orchestra's "bio," printed in the program, had this to say: "A vital basis for the orchestra's extraordinary achievements is the soloistic quality and chamber-music approach of each individual orchestra member, which results in particularly intense musical communication within the orchestra and an extremely energetic orchestral sound." Isn't that for others to say? Yet others may well say it.
Members of the orchestra entered the stage together - in the European fashion - then turned to the audience and bowed, virtually as one. That was impressive. And it portended precision to come.
First on the program was Beethoven's Coriolan Overture, and Mr. Jarvi and the orchestra performed it like a house afire. Mr. Jarvi was wired, tense, insistent - so were his charges. This was Beethoven that was raw and punchy, but not too "period" (if you know what I mean). Mr. Jarvi's account had a nice inexorability, and reminded us that the "Coriolan" is, indeed, a drama. The horns had a bad moment, right on cue - but otherwise you could hardly fault the orchestra's playing.
Continuing the concert was Beethoven's Violin Concerto, in which Viktoria Mullova was soloist. Has it really been 20 years since this striking young woman won the Gold Medal at the Tchaikovsky Competition? No - it's been 23. A few months ago, she played a recital at Carnegie Hall that was less distinguished than expected. It didn't live up to her reputation, or recordings - or ability. She was stronger in the Beethoven.
Her tone was not especially beautiful, but then she wasn't trying for that. It was a manly, useful tone, and could grow sweet in the upper register. Her passagework wasn't always silky, and her intonation was sometimes amiss (flat). Moreover, you might have asked for more tenderness in Beethoven's first movement: Ms. Mullova is rather severe, a cool customer. But this is a smart musician, and she communicated the essence of Beethoven. Her cadenza was by Ottavio Dantone, a harpsichordist, fortepianist, and conductor. (His name means Big Dante, by the way!) The cadenza was long, and interesting, and sympathetic: I dare say Beethoven would have approved.
Throughout the first movement - as, indeed, throughout the concert - Mr. Jarvi was commanding. Barely a note or thought went astray. Honestly, he looked like a martinet on that podium, and I mean that as a compliment. Rodzinski and Reiner got the job done, didn't they? The orchestra demonstrated a fine sense of line and extreme clarity.
Mr. Jarvi and the orchestra began the second movement, the Larghetto, with assurance, almost matter-of-factness. They did little to the music - they let it speak for itself. The tempo was somewhat fast, but then this is the preference these days. At one point, the orchestra was softer than soft - and that didn't really work, even in Alice Tully Hall. But the Larghetto was afforded its power. It was not sublime, as it can be, but it was moving. Ms. Mullova is straightforward in her musicality.
She played the final movement, the Rondo, with great character, and so did the orchestra. Even the bassoonist (no offense to bassoonists anywhere). Ms. Mullova had a few technical problems, but these were overridden - banished - by her musical conviction, a conviction born of understanding.
After intermission we had Beethoven's Third Symphony, the Eroica. This chamber orchestra is, in fact, recording all the Beethoven symphonies. Is there room for another set? There's always room for another set, if it's good.
Mr. Jarvi lit into the symphony while the audience was still applauding his entrance: That's the kind of performance it was, largely - no-nonsense, bold, defiant. It was also alive and exciting. Have you ever heard a Beethoven symphony - I mean, a big one - in a chamber hall? It is overpowering, even from a chamber orchestra. You felt sort of in the score. While Mr. Jarvi is no-nonsense, he's not without spontaneity, even some whimsy. Something funny occurred in the first movement: As he was shaping a trill, he looked at the audience, as if to say, "Isn't this nifty?" It was a little theatrical, and a little weird - but enjoyable.
The funeral march had its pathos, even if Mr. Jarvi's tempo was brisk, and the texture of the orchestra light. As for the rest of the symphony, one can say what I've said about Ms. Mullova: There were technical bobbles, but these were insignificant, in view of the larger music-making.
Mr. Jarvi would not leave the spotlight to Beethoven alone, offering two encores: a Brahms Hungarian Dance and Sibelius's Valse triste.
And may I close with something utterly extraneous? Before the downbeat of the Coriolan Overture, the man behind me said to his wife (or someone) excitedly, "Two of the bass players are women: I love it!" Remember this: Even if a Bremen concert isn't good, you have some female bass players. What is Beethoven, where race/gender is involved?
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