Concert Review: Juilliard Orchestra - DePreistMarch 25, Avery Fisher Hall
Juilliard Orchestra - James DePreist
Mahler Symphony No. 5
With serious jet lag I attended this concert. This was not the first time I had heard the Juilliard Orchestra play Mahler 5th, but was the first time I heard conductor James DePreist.
Paralysed by polio from the waist down in his twenties, this incredible hulk, nephew of alto Marian Anderson and chairman of Juilliard's Conducting Department, graciously conducted the school orchestra. His right hand gave long, fluid beats, but his left hand employed a large number to jittery and flickering gestures, highly unusual to say the least.
Overall, this account of M5 was a fine one, superior to the 2008 one I heard conducted by James Conlon. While still an objective rather than emotive reading, it was fluent and flowing, with good ensemble and attack. Although not the last word in heaven-storming Mahlerian angst, the symphonic treatment satisfied but did not quite deliver the full emotional wallop, not quite up to the level of yet another previous JO Mahler performance, the 2008 Mahler 1st conducted by Roberto Abbado.
Curiously, in another 2 weeks there will be yet another Mahler performance by the JO, this time the 9th, conducted by alumnus Alan Gilbert, now director of NYPO. I cannot wait!
Added April 14, 2011:
NY Times review
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