PAAVO JÄRVI: Moderate tempo and gentle Beethoven force
Wiener Zeitung
Michael Brommer
20.02.23
Photo© afp / Raido Pajula
It was just three weeks ago that the Estonian conductor Paavo Järvi gave a concert at the Musikverein. Now, in the Konzerthaus, he had a different orchestra with him - the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra instead of the Tonhalle Orchestra - but again a solo string instrument to accompany.
Lisa Batiashvili had already recorded Beethoven's Violin Concerto op. 61 on CD in 2008. The live experience that evening should clearly surpass the recording. But before the Georgian resident of Munich even got started, Järvi had already set the course: at a moderate tempo, he let the first movement begin softly and almost dreamily, the Beethoven force that kept galloping appeared gently subdued here, which enabled Järvi to trace the intervening tenderness .
Batiashvili picked up the thread, the numerous pianissimo passages in particular turned out to be soulful, finely nuanced even to the limit of silence and technically perfect delicacies - an enormous, rare pleasure, one can hardly play them better within this chosen interpretation . In addition, the orchestra remained a very well harmonizing and space-giving accompanist. Batiashvili dedicated the encore, a rather brisk "Air" by Bach, to the earthquake victims.
After the break, Järvi served Prokofiev's Symphony No. 5: solemn, but without sacrificing the right power, and allowing his musicians to spread every compositional idea transparently and precisely.
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