Royal performance show
Online Merker
Dirk Schauss
21.02. 2023
Photo:Tibor Florestan Pluto
After many years of absence, the Frankfurt concert-goers could look forward to seeing one of the best orchestras in the world again.
The traditional Royal Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orkest and its guest conductor Paavo Järvi were guests. The unique Lisa Batiashvili could be won as a soloist. What a combination!
At the beginning, the violin concerto by Ludwig van Beethoven, which premiered in 1806, was heard. In its time, this concert was so completely different. At just under 30 minutes, the first movement alone lasts as long as many an entire violin concerto. Is the revolution or even fate constantly knocking on the drums here?
Paavo Järvi began with a contrasting introduction. There was tension and anticipation at this beginning. Järvi provided the necessary tension with distinctive accents, especially in the recurring four drumbeats.
Lisa Batiashvili played the melodies with wonderful sound quality. Her playing sounded completely natural. Unfortunately, with so much soloistic brilliance, there was one limitation. Batiasvili played cadenzas by Alfred Schnittke, each of which used Beethoven's thematic material in a very original way in the first half. In the second half, however, there were blatant breaks in style that were far removed from Beethoven. This was like champagne to mustard. Inappropriate.
The Larghetto was played extremely quietly and very solemnly. The orchestra acted here in a completely reserved manner, like chamber music, since part of the wind instruments and the timpani are silent in this movement. Untroubled purity found a special space here in the best musical implementation. Here Batiashvili demonstrated her special class in dynamic design. She reduced the very warm tone of her precious instrument to a barely audible pianissimo. The spellbound listeners experienced an intimacy of the lecture that was deeply moving.
How great then the contrast in the concluding jubilant rondo! Batiashvili played off her outstanding virtuosity with exuberance. But unfortunately the musical pleasure was massively disturbed again by another cadenza by Schnittke. Now the orchestra was also allowed to contribute various dissonant chords by this composer. A musical disturbance, almost sabotage, which neither did Beethoven justice, nor did it add any artistic value. Too bad and completely unnecessary!
Batiashvili almost stood a bit in the background of the Amsterdam elite orchestra. With perfect sound culture, it made music masterfully like an instrument. Superb wind parts and a perfect transparency in the strings. Beethoven's music cannot be played better. Paavo Järvi designed the orchestral part with a lot of personality and exemplary accompaniment.
The great enthusiasm was thanked by Batiasvili with the famous Air from the Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 by J.S.Bach, seconded by the musicians of the orchestra. Splendid!
In the war days of 1944, Sergei Prokofiev wrote his Fifth Symphony. In addition to the short first symphony, this work is one of his most frequently performed symphonies, and countless recordings are available.
The composer considered it a "war symphony", a "triumph of the human spirit". But this seems questionable insofar as the music constantly shows breaks, sometimes drifting off into the rough humorous or at least ironically questioning the jubilation.
As is so often the case with Prokofjev, a lot of technical, industrial-sounding roar with little melodic memory value. This music appeals to the mind at best, leaving the heart mostly untouched. Like a machine, the composition meanders through constantly changing keys and rhythms. This collage of sound knows no destination. At least there is an adagio waltz with intensive tuba accompaniment, but ultimately this too is hardly distinctive in its melodic content. It's a pity, especially in these bleak times, a work with melodic, positive emotional power would have been better nourishment for the weary listener. The cough level that was so obvious that evening clearly commented on what was heard.
What remains is a technical performance show by a top orchestra, which played this technical challenge like a children's song with breathtaking ease. Each instrument group of the orchestra is a superlative of technical bravura and musicality. What makes this orchestra so special is its extraordinary tonal homogeneity, the extremely attentive cooperation. Fascinating and can only be experienced in this form with the Concertgebouw Orkest! A royal performance show by an orchestra that knows how to implement everything at the highest level.
Paavo Järvi clearly enjoyed this work and tried to get the best out of this symphonic behemoth. Järvi served colorfulness and ironic breaks on a silver platter.
Of course, although mental exhaustion was evident everywhere, the audience was very enthusiastic. What followed then, on the other hand, showed very impressively how much more intense this concert evening could have been with a different choice of works in the second half. As an encore, Jean Sibelius's “Valse triste” could now be experienced in its greatest perfection. Everything that stands in and behind this profound piece was worked out here. Five minutes of great moments, unique and unforgettable. Immediately the audience was on their feet and cheered standing up.
Hopefully the wonderful Concertgebouw Orkest can be admired in Frankfurt again soon, with a Mahler symphony please!
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