Oft-played 'New World' Symphony seems new again in CSO's rendition
Cincinnati Enquirer classical music writer Janelle Gelfand found the 'New World' Symphony seems new again in CSO's rendition last night.
"Dvorak's New World Symphony is one of the most familiar - and overplayed - works in the symphonic literature.
"So it could have been a ho-hum evening. But the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's performance Thursday night in Music Hall was a voyage of discovery, as Paavo Järvi found something new to say in every measure.
"The New World Symphony capped an evening that included two other discoveries: An ingenious short piece, Network, by a young American named Kevin Puts, and rising star Latvian violinist Baiba Skride in her Cincinnati debut.
"Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 (From the New World), is a panorama of American impressions, seen through the eyes of a 19th-century Bohemian composer. Its most famous theme is that of the slow movement, clearly inspired by the African-American spiritual.
"Where many performances are full of tension, Järvi's view was warmer, more spontaneous and often slower than one usually hears. That pulling back in the lyrical themes brought to the fore the nostalgic, folk-like quality.
"The first movement was a study in contrasts, from the full-blown power of the brass, to dancing solos in flute or oboe. Järvi animatedly danced between violins and cellos, leaning forward to urge his players along, other times leading with full-body sweeps of his arms.
"The famous English horn solo in the slow movement (Chris Philpotts) was beautifully phrased, and the movement had a haunting beauty, particularly in the muted violins. The timpani (Richard Jensen) leaped out like exclamation points in the energetic scherzo.
"The brass was simply unbeatable in the finale, in which Järvi balanced supercharged drama with glowing lyricism.
"The 24-year-old Skride, who won the 2001 Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, was soloist in Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2.
"An extraordinary virtuoso, the Latvian violinist does not possess a big sound, but she spun a flawless line on her 1708 Strad. The slow movement, with its flowing violin melody against staccato accompaniment, was spellbinding. Every note was immaculately in place, her high notes soared and her technique was stunning, especially in the fiendishly difficult finale.
"Oddly, the performance left me cold; what it lacked was risk-taking and soul. Järvi and the orchestra gave her excellent support.
"The program opened with "Network," an urban collage of bright sounds and colors, with repeating figures tossed about sort of like a communications network.
"The concert repeats at 11 a.m. today and 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets: (513) 381-3300."
"Dvorak's New World Symphony is one of the most familiar - and overplayed - works in the symphonic literature.
"So it could have been a ho-hum evening. But the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's performance Thursday night in Music Hall was a voyage of discovery, as Paavo Järvi found something new to say in every measure.
"The New World Symphony capped an evening that included two other discoveries: An ingenious short piece, Network, by a young American named Kevin Puts, and rising star Latvian violinist Baiba Skride in her Cincinnati debut.
"Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 (From the New World), is a panorama of American impressions, seen through the eyes of a 19th-century Bohemian composer. Its most famous theme is that of the slow movement, clearly inspired by the African-American spiritual.
"Where many performances are full of tension, Järvi's view was warmer, more spontaneous and often slower than one usually hears. That pulling back in the lyrical themes brought to the fore the nostalgic, folk-like quality.
"The first movement was a study in contrasts, from the full-blown power of the brass, to dancing solos in flute or oboe. Järvi animatedly danced between violins and cellos, leaning forward to urge his players along, other times leading with full-body sweeps of his arms.
"The famous English horn solo in the slow movement (Chris Philpotts) was beautifully phrased, and the movement had a haunting beauty, particularly in the muted violins. The timpani (Richard Jensen) leaped out like exclamation points in the energetic scherzo.
"The brass was simply unbeatable in the finale, in which Järvi balanced supercharged drama with glowing lyricism.
"The 24-year-old Skride, who won the 2001 Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels, was soloist in Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2.
"An extraordinary virtuoso, the Latvian violinist does not possess a big sound, but she spun a flawless line on her 1708 Strad. The slow movement, with its flowing violin melody against staccato accompaniment, was spellbinding. Every note was immaculately in place, her high notes soared and her technique was stunning, especially in the fiendishly difficult finale.
"Oddly, the performance left me cold; what it lacked was risk-taking and soul. Järvi and the orchestra gave her excellent support.
"The program opened with "Network," an urban collage of bright sounds and colors, with repeating figures tossed about sort of like a communications network.
"The concert repeats at 11 a.m. today and 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets: (513) 381-3300."
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