CSO's Gershwin concerto electrifies
CSO's Gershwin concerto electrifies
By Janelle Gelfand
Cincinnati Enquirer, April 30, 2005
Gershwin's Concerto in F is a slice of Americana cast into a concerto. French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet offered an irresistible performance of the jazzy number with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and it's safe to say the crowd went wild.
Paavo Järvi was on the podium for a brilliant evening that included (in a stroke of equally brilliant programming) Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra.
Gershwin's Concerto in F, written for what is now the New York Philharmonic, captures the rhythm and soul of the 1920s - fusing jazz, blues and sweeping tunes into a sophisticated concerto form.
It's the kind of music that "goes right to your soul and makes you smile," Thibaudet said earlier. And so it did.
The Frenchman, who came armed with his usual flair and glittering touch, gave the piece a scintillating reading, knowing when to play boldly and when to pull back and enjoy a bluesy moment. Tall, lanky and projecting an elegant air, he made technical challenges all look effortless.
The first movement was so exhilarating, the crowd burst into applause. He pushed ahead in the finale, tackling fiendish repeating notes and split-second syncopations with pointed attack.
The pianist moved little, except to sway in a jazz moment, and kept his eyes trained on Järvi. It was an electrifying collaboration, highlighted by trumpeter Philip Collin's muted blues solo in the slow movement.
Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, played in the second half, is a landmark 20th-century showpiece meant to highlight the virtuosity of players in the orchestra. Yet it can be tough to pull off all of its subtleties and make it coherent to the listener.
Järvi's view was so alive, it held one enthralled from beginning to end. He propelled his forces through its five movements with intensity and rhythmic thrust, and the musicians took their solos with freedom of expression.
Details seemed to burst out. There was the quirky humor of the second movement, featuring players in duets, and the beautiful Hungarian theme of the fourth, gorgeously played by the violas.
The heart of the work is the Elegia, which had an ethereal quality and a plaintive oboe solo (Lon Bussell). The finale began like a rocket, and the players dug into their strings in its energized fugue.
They'll record it this weekend for Telarc.
Järvi opened the program with the orchestra's first performance of Gambit by Finnish composer/conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The shimmering, oscillating orchestral canvas was bright, rhythmic and inventive.
Also Thursday, four people were honored for 25 years with the orchestra: principal violist Marna Street, trumpet Steven Pride and stage managers Joseph Hopper and Thomas Thoman.
The concert repeats at 11 a.m. today and 8 p.m. Saturday in Music Hall. Tickets: (513) 381-3300.
E-mail jgelfand@enquirer.com
By Janelle Gelfand
Cincinnati Enquirer, April 30, 2005
Gershwin's Concerto in F is a slice of Americana cast into a concerto. French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet offered an irresistible performance of the jazzy number with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and it's safe to say the crowd went wild.
Paavo Järvi was on the podium for a brilliant evening that included (in a stroke of equally brilliant programming) Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra.
Gershwin's Concerto in F, written for what is now the New York Philharmonic, captures the rhythm and soul of the 1920s - fusing jazz, blues and sweeping tunes into a sophisticated concerto form.
It's the kind of music that "goes right to your soul and makes you smile," Thibaudet said earlier. And so it did.
The Frenchman, who came armed with his usual flair and glittering touch, gave the piece a scintillating reading, knowing when to play boldly and when to pull back and enjoy a bluesy moment. Tall, lanky and projecting an elegant air, he made technical challenges all look effortless.
The first movement was so exhilarating, the crowd burst into applause. He pushed ahead in the finale, tackling fiendish repeating notes and split-second syncopations with pointed attack.
The pianist moved little, except to sway in a jazz moment, and kept his eyes trained on Järvi. It was an electrifying collaboration, highlighted by trumpeter Philip Collin's muted blues solo in the slow movement.
Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra, played in the second half, is a landmark 20th-century showpiece meant to highlight the virtuosity of players in the orchestra. Yet it can be tough to pull off all of its subtleties and make it coherent to the listener.
Järvi's view was so alive, it held one enthralled from beginning to end. He propelled his forces through its five movements with intensity and rhythmic thrust, and the musicians took their solos with freedom of expression.
Details seemed to burst out. There was the quirky humor of the second movement, featuring players in duets, and the beautiful Hungarian theme of the fourth, gorgeously played by the violas.
The heart of the work is the Elegia, which had an ethereal quality and a plaintive oboe solo (Lon Bussell). The finale began like a rocket, and the players dug into their strings in its energized fugue.
They'll record it this weekend for Telarc.
Järvi opened the program with the orchestra's first performance of Gambit by Finnish composer/conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The shimmering, oscillating orchestral canvas was bright, rhythmic and inventive.
Also Thursday, four people were honored for 25 years with the orchestra: principal violist Marna Street, trumpet Steven Pride and stage managers Joseph Hopper and Thomas Thoman.
The concert repeats at 11 a.m. today and 8 p.m. Saturday in Music Hall. Tickets: (513) 381-3300.
E-mail jgelfand@enquirer.com
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