CD Recommendations

CD Recommendations

Currently Available CDs

(right, EMI) The legendary Celibidache Edition has been re-issued in 4 compact boxes and at super bargain prices. Grab them this time around! Slow tempi concerns aside, I consider this essential listening. The dynamic control, such as the perfect crescendo, are captured in sterling sonics.

(middle, Orfeo) Lifschitz is a magnificent Bach pianist. This new release on Orfeo imho is better than any of those by bigger names. Unlike most others, Lifschitz varies his tone according to the origin of the work. Splendid sound and accompaniment.

(left, Talent) Brilliant Shostakovich from little known forces. Click link for review. I agree that these rank with the bests. Stunningly recorded.

Currently Available SACDs

(left, ECM) A magisterial reading by an upcoming Beethoven specialist and a maturing conductor. Marvelous, and I look forward to the next installment in the cycle.

(right, BIS) Finally, a version of Bach's Cello Suites on the viola that I like! I have heard several versions, including those by old masters like Primrose and Fuchs, but I feel this one is the best.

Somewhat older CDs from the Library



(left, Onyx) What a surprise. The Turkish orchestra under its Austrian conductor is splendid and fully up to international standards. A great CD of colorful music by Respighi and Florent Schmidt! Fabulous recording quality. Click pic for more info.

(right, Signum) Elgar's masterpieces here receive a see-through recording of the highest quality, and a solid interpretation from a noted Elgarian.

(Left, DG) 2 Transcriptions here. The Goldberg Variations is indestructible and there is much beauty in this version for harp played by Catrin Finch (DG). For the open-minded, this is a real treat. Click pic for info.

(right, Sony)The Harp version of Rodrigo's Concierto Aranjuez is stunningly played by Maistre, harpist of the VPO. Click for artist's official site.

(left, Berlin Classics) What a beautifully recorded Paganini performance (as always with this company) by a promising young violinist! Well-chiseled and not at all bombastic. This one goes to the top. Click for info.

(middle, Berlin Classics) Peter Rosel is much under-rated. His recordings on Berlin Classics are all fabulous in execution and recording quality! The Beethoven is amongst the best cycles.

(right, Hanssler) A stimulating version of Beethoven's 9th. Norrington's recordings with Stuttgart are frequently quite good and sonics from SWR is always exceptional.

(left, Virgin) Excellent early music continue to pour forth from Virgin. L'Arpeggiata is a new sensation. Dynamic and virtuosic Monteverdi that catapults to the very top!

(second from left, Virgin) Old favorite Le Concert Astree, led by Haim, continue their quality output. This Handel Dixit Dominus pulsates with life!

(second from right, EMI) The songs of Faure and Poulenc are under-rated masterpieces, here well rendered by Ian Bostridge.

(right, DG) A superb Ravel Chansons Madecasses, as well as Shostakovich and other 20th century rarities. Beautifully sung and stunningly recorded.

Old Favorites

(left, Westminster) This old abc/Westminster LP showcases the great flamenco playing of Carlos Montoya. In splendid sound as good as any. Great hifi demo.

(middle, RCA) When it comes to Schubert, not many think of Rubinstein, but his D960 astounds me in its freshness, beauty and humanity. My top choice now. May be hard to find. Click pic for youtube.

(right, Decca) In terms of expressiveness, this old Britten recording by the Allegri String Quartet is still competitive with the best modern versions (like the Belcea).

CD Recommendation: Bach Guitar Concertos

CD Recommendation: Bach Guitar Concertos

Although Bach did not write any concerto for the guitar, he did compose solo works for similar instruments. Given that Bach did much transcription, I think the concept behind this album is quite valid.

Yang Xuefei is a shining star whose albums frequently bring something new, necessary for re-rejuvenating the tired classical guitar world. In this album, she did transcriptions of mainly Bach works for strings. The reduction of the orchestra into a string quartet works surprisingly well. The Elias String Quartet is a young and wonderful foursome that I have followed since their excellent Wigmore Hall CD release (available from the HK Public Library). The collaboration is wonderful. Sound is good.

You can sample all tracks at EMI's Official Page.

Here are some youtube's of this album (top: promo; bottom: Concerto in A minor-1st movement):

Concert Review: HKPO-Zimmerman-Delfs

Concert Review: HKPO-Zimmerman-Delfs

16 December, 2012, CCCH
HKPO - Frank Peter Zimmermann - Andreas Delfs
Brahms-Beethoven

The concert opened with the Brahms Symphony No. 3, given a stylish and muscular reading, typical of conductor Andreas Delfs. The playing was very good, and if a little wistfulness was missing, it was made up by the cogency of the reading.

Second half's Beethoven Violin Concerto received a miraculous reading. Frank Peter Zimmermann, always a thoughtful musician, was in top form. Rock solid technique that filled the hall was not everything; more precious was the spontaneity he managed to display in this warhorse which he plays often. His phrasings never sounded studied or routine, and if occasionally the forcefulness jolted me a little I was wonderfully refreshed. His Strad, ex Kreisler, sounded magnificent in tonality. Delfs proved a worthwhile partner; the orchestra and conductor both engaged in a musical dialogue.

The best Beethoven I have ever heard with the HKPO.

Concert Review: Vienna Symphony - Luisi - de la Salle

Concert Review: Vienna Symphony - Luisi - de la Salle

NY Times review of the two concerts

November 13, Avery Fisher Hall
Lise de la Salle, piano
Rachmaninov-Beethoven

Much as I admire Fabio Luisi, I almost decided not to attend this concert due to over-exposed material, especially during this Beethoven year. I am glad I went.

I have heard a few CDs of Lise de la Salle from the library, but nothing prepared me for how fresh/willful the electrifying interpretation of the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 2 was. She has a big solid technique and I could hear her clearly even when the orchestra played quite loudly. It was not a "traditional" interpretation, but a fresh and spontaneous one. Luisi was a marvelous accompanist, with her all the way, and the interplay between soloist and orchestra was palpable. The crowd went frenzy with applause.

The Beethoven Symphony No. 7, like Andreas Delfs recent performance with the HKPO, received a tightly driven reading, but Luisi found more poetry in the allegretto. The central European sonority of the orchestra was simply a delight for this listener. What characterful winds and brass!

November 14, Avery Fisher Hall
Eroica Trio
Beethoven-Brahms

Due to personal engagement, I missed the first half, but enjoyed the Brahms Symphony No. 2 immensely. the interpretation was perhaps idiosyncratic, but it was passionately delivered, a refreshing change from some of the bland Brahms we get these days. Remember Karl Bohm? No one was more authentically Austrian than him, or had direct ties to Brahms, yet his recordings are idiosyncratic to say the least. The meaty texture, with a heroic bass line, was opulent, the playing full of memorable moments. Passionate, yes, that is how Brahms should sound like!

The last time I heard the VSO was in the eighties, in a concert at the Musikverein conducted by then-director Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, a solid musician, yet I think this current incarnation is better, and has a prominent future with this exciting conductor at the helms.

Johann Strauss Jr, Unter Donner und Blitz

This is one of my favorite polkas, which Luisi offered as a rousing encore. Here are youtubes of the earthy Carlos Kleiber (Bavarian SO 1986) and more suave Karajan (Vienna PO 1987). I could not make up my mind which I prefer. Luisi's interpretation was closer to Kleiber's in temperament.

Concert Review: NYPO-Haitink

pic from NY Times



Concert Review: NYPO-Haitink

Ever since I first heard Bernard Haitink with his Concertgebouw Orchestra more than three decades ago, I have loyally followed him. Here is a musician who balances the orchestral sonority meticulously, even in odd works like Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique, to let you hear through the transparency and discover things you have never heard before. In concert he often proved more exciting than on records. The Mahler 6th played in Carnegie Hall when he led the Berlin PO on a New York tour in June 1991 (the concert calender of New York Magazine of that week is amazingly archived on the internet) has remained central to my concert going experience, on par with the unforgettable Karajan performance in the same hall in 1984 (coincidentally cited in this 2009 review of Haitink's Mahler 9th with the LSO).

So I was happy I finally caught up with him in NYC. His appearance with the NYPO was unusual to say the least. The NYT articles said his last appearance was in 1978 but did not mention why he had not returned till now. In the program book, there was a candid interview in which Haitink basically said things did not click then. Although regrettably no Mahler was offered, compensation came in the form of Bruckner 7th.

November 10, Avery Fisher Hall
Strauss-Beethoven (NY Times review)

In Strauss' Don Quixote, a score I love dearly, I particularly enjoyed the playing of cellist principal Carter Brey, who delivered a beautifully full tone, and I feel he is a much stronger soloist than his predecessor, Lorne Munroe. However, I do feel the playing by the orchestra in general lacked Straussian swagger and opulence; perhaps the Philadelphia or Chicago would be more interesting in this work.

Beethoven's Pastorale was beautifully balanced, permeated by a firm pulse, and Haitink coaxed an almost European sound out of the NYPO. Very satisfying. The audience gave him a great ovation, as he deserved.

November 18, Avery Fisher Hall
Haydn-Bruckner (NY Times review)

Like the NY Times reviewer, I much enjoyed the Haydn Miracle, but did have the same thoughts about period practice, and recalled the wonderful performance by McGegan in HK.

The towering Bruckner Symphony No. 7 triumphantly rounded out my Haitink re-encounter. It sounded closer to his earlier studio recordings than some of the more recent and more spontaneous live accounts. The reading flowed inevitably and the NYPO have always been a good Bruckner orchestra. I hope to catch up with Haitink again soon.

Concert Review: HKPO-Watkins-Wigglesworth

Concert Review: HKPO-Watkins-Wigglesworth

22 October, 2011, CCCH
HKPO-Paul Watkins-Mark Wigglesworth
Beethoven-Elgar-Wagner

Excellent music-making by these two musicians from the UK. The program bears an uncanny resemblance to the HKPO's program for January 2006, conducted by Osmo Vanska, but played in reverse order.

Beethoven's Pastoral received an enjoyably muscular and straightforward reading by Mark Wigglesworth, who became known to the record collector because of his Shostakovich cycle on BIS (12 years in the making; recently concluded). Playing of the HKPO was very good, and Wigglesworth's conducting was notable for his firm pulse and good rthymic control. In comparison, the reading by Vanska in 2006 was more elastic and consciously shaped.

Paul Watkins may be more familiar to us as cellist of the Nash Ensemble rather than as soloist. For a consummate chamber musician, his tone was surprisingly big and full. Wigglesworth proved equally adept as accompanist, and the collaboration resulted in the best Elgar Cello Concerto we have heard from HKPO. The interpretation heaved and sighed, wistful and exciting at turns, and was well knit. It all sounded quite familiar - we were certain it was closely modeled on the immortal du Pre/Barbirolli recording, but who cares! In 2006, the Elgar was unsatisfactory due to the weak soloist, Trey Lee.

The concert concluded with Wagner's Tannhauser overture. The HKPO tried hard but could not quite convey the lustiness of the score.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year 2012

Here I belatedly wish readers a happy new year and thank you for your support during the past year. I have been kept quite busy for the last months, and have delayed writing up several concerts that I have attended both in HK and NYC. That was quite uncharacteristic of me, and I hope this kind of delay shall be kept to a minimum this year.

Concert Review: Hong Kong Sinfonietta - Tharaud - Liebreich

Concert Review: Hong Kong Sinfonietta - Tharaud - Liebreich

October 14, City Hall
Hong Kong Sinfonietta - Alexandre Tharaud - Alexander Liebreich
Bach-Mozart-Schubert

This concert of the two Alexander's opened with Bach's Keyboard Concerto No. 5, BWV1056, accompanied by a much reduced orchestra who played standing. Tharaud played without much color and, together with the very lean sound of the small ensemble, the result was not at all genial. In my opinion, a larger ensemble and lusher playing would have better served the piece if indeed a piano is the chosen medium.

Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9, K271, fared much better. Tharaud's playing was more varied and expressive, if just a little too precious at times. The larger orchestra accompanied stylishly under Liebreich's guidance, and there was indeed a sense of dialogue, which made it enjoyable.

After the first half, it was apparent the German conductor, well regarded in Munich and elsewhere, is a star. But that doesn't prepare one for what followed, a superbly crafted Schubert's Symphony No 9. The long work was well laid out, tightly argued and surprisingly very well played. Perhaps it did not plumb the ultimate depth (as few performances does) but it kept us enchanted and eager, with glimpses into all kinds of emotion along the way. An unqualified success.

p.s. There is an interesting review at this site, and I concurred with almost everything the author said.

Concert Review: Hong Kong Philharmonic-Ning Feng-Andreas Delfs-HKPO

Concert Review: Hong Kong Philharmonic - Ning Feng - Andreas Delfs - HKPO

October 7, CCCH
HKPO-Ning Feng-Andrea Delfs
Sierra-Paganini-Beethoven

Miracle of miracles! Not a dull moment! If you did not attend last night, do so tonight! Although the raison d'etre for the concert is purportedly Ning Feng's Paganini, for this conductor watcher, the conductor is just as much the star!

Andreas Delfs has appeared with the HKPO before. He is widely acknowledged to have built up the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra during his ten-year reign (guess who succeeded him there? EdW!) Under Delfs' firm guidance, HKPO last night was like an orchestra transformed. Perhaps they finally got out of their summer holiday mood and realized they had to pay to earn their living, or perhaps it was the telecast! In truth, the chemistry between conductor and orchestra was unmistakable.

The substantial opener was Fandangos by the Puerto Rican composer Roberto Sierra, and what a champion he got in Delfs! The typical pin-point turns, crescendos and decrescendos of the fandango (you may recall Boccherini's quintets) were interlaced with passages of more modern writing. It is a thrilling piece, well rendered by the team, and I want a recording! Below I have embedded a youtube clip of this piece. Enjoy!

Everything I wrote previously about Ning Feng in his recital last year can be used to describe his performance of Paganini Violin Concerto No. 1:

"...here is a virtuoso who uses everything to empower the music, and there's no higher accolade...Ning Feng's beautiful and fulsome tone stood out from the start. Under his fingers, every note retains its full value, a quality rare as hen's teeth today. Add to this phrasing as natural as breathing and a wonderful evening was guaranteed. I fact I had rarely felt so relaxed and satisfied at a concert...In my book, the unassuming Ning Feng catapults to the top of the heap, and needs to yield to none. Other favorites that I like to watch are Augustin Hadelich, Ryu Goto and Hilary Hahn..."

"...粒粒皆清楚...這次終於趕上了, 洗耳之餘當是恨晚。他的琴音每一粒都異常飽滿, 不像一般小提琴家在琴絃上下之間會有意無意地突出，減弱，甚至僅僅帶過某些音符。加上有非凡連貫性的造句 ，這晚令人一路匯神聆聽， 且聼得無比舒服。琴是 2007 年德國的 Stefan-Peter Greiner， 音色不及意大利名琴華麗，但表現極爲乾淨，平均...他的造詣， 我覺得不在任何一位現代小提琴家之下。既然他是 Mr Paganini, 就跟先前聼過最好的 Paganini 詮譯者 Ryu Goto 一比。我覺得 Goto 更炫目醒神， 但寧峰更耐聼， 更具潛力..好一個音樂家！以他的造詣， 本應大紅大紫，可惜他樸素的造型可能不太適合這個浮華的世界。以他的毅力， 我堅信默默地耕耘也能“成功”。我只是覺得他的髮型， 還有那套有紅裏子的衣服， 都應該更新了。話説回來，他以後無論穿什麽，拉什麽我都會趕去捧場的..."

Aside from a tendency to slow down in the cadenzas' passages of lower register, the awesome pyrotechnics served the music well. Here the conductor must also be given full credit for the remarkably nimble accompaniment. Delfs urged and honed the reduced orchestra to breathe in sync with Ning Feng, displaying a technicolor give-and-take that gave the music stature. Compared to the somewhat clumsy Ning Feng, the energetic and slim Delfs, with his grimace and occasional podium antics, seemed to resemble more Paganini!

Truth to tell, despite all the brilliance, this command performance does not completely erase memories of the 2008 performance by Ryo Goto. How lucky we are, to have heard them both!

A pungent Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, more Apollonian than Dionysian, concluded the marvelous evening. The concert is titled "Apotheosis of the Dance", but for those who preferred their 7th lithe and more stately, this Seventh may not comply. For myself, I found the interpretation fresh, shedding light on its relationship with the dramatic elements of the Pastorale as well as the earthy Eighth that followed. The muscular reading, with strong accents and finely graded dynamics, was built on a solid sense of rhythm, and their were moments of great tenderness, such as the opening of the second movement. A less antiquated kind of dance, if you will. The reading easily surpassed EdW's reading with the HKPO when he first came on board.

Except for the fact that I find Michael Wilson's oboe often stolid, the orchestra played very well. Maybe Delfs is the kind of "orchestral builder" we should have! Someone who extracts discipline, but, instead of just delivering the notes, also makes the concert fun!

Concert Review: Shenzhen SO - Ehwald - Ning Kam

Concert Review: Shenzhen SO - Ehwald - Ning Kam

23 September, 2011, Shenzhen Concert Hall
Shenzhen Symphony-Christian Ehwald-Ning Kam
All Shostakovich

For some reason, the Shenzhen Symphony loves to program the Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1. Just three months after the forgettable performance by child prodigy Gao Tianyang came this much better performance by Singaporean Ning Kam.

The press release touted the tone of her 1793 Storioni. Indeed, her tone was surprisingly beautiful and supple. More importantly, commitment and temperament were evident from the first note. In the rapid passages, I felt she short-changed the notes a little too much in exchange for a lighter dancing-on-the-strings feeling, and the fully macabre nature of the work was again not brought out in full, but it was a winning performance. The audience loved her and her Gershwin encore.

This was the second all-Shostakovitch concert I heard under Ehwald. The previous one in 2009 featured the same concerto, given a stunning performance by Antje Weithaas, still the benchmark! This time the Symphony No. 8 was played with some of the same quality as the previous No. 10, and I quote myself:

"...A similar Germanic resilience pervaded the symphony...The complete grip of architecture and non-sentimental approach reminds me of performances of the several Shostakovich symphonies that I have heard conducted by the excellent Gunther Herbig on record (Berlin Classics; available in the library). As in the concerto, I'd prefer a little more abandon and sardonic wit. The orchestra tried very hard, but their grasp of Shostakovich, in contrast to Brahms, was not quite that of the HKPO (in performances by the likes of Jaap Van Zweden and Mark Elder and I now add Lazarev)..."

In Ehwald's hands, the inner movements fared better than the outer ones. In fact, in those movements the playing had quite a bit more bite than the previous No. 10. In contrast, the outer movements seemed a little plain. The SZSO could do better in Shostakovich, as evidenced by the brilliance of Zhang Guoyong's No. 15 and Fred Buttkewicz's No. 11.

I must cite the astonishingly virtuosic playing of the percussion section. That lady bass-drummer was perfectly in sync with the tympanist. Thrilling!

Concert Review: HKPO-Ainars Rubikis-Hong Kong Philharmonic

Concert Review: Hong Kong Philharmonic-Ainars Rubikis

September 17, 2011, CCCH
Hong Kong Philharmonic-Ainars Rubikis-HKPO
Honegger-Haydn-Dvorak

Whether Edo de Waart is a great conductor is controversial. If you ask me, he is a good conductor, but over-hyped (only in HK) and not at all a great one. He has been promoted as an "orchestral trainer", but judging from the performance of HKPO in this concert (the playing of the Renes concert was not great either, mind you), that is an even greater fallacy. Would an "improved and trained" orchestra struggle so hard technically in the Honegger Pacific 231? The piece lost all of its brilliance.

Despite the lacklustre strings, Haydn Symphony 103, the Drum Roll, fared much better, better in fact than the Jupiter a week ago. Young, and very boyish looking, Ainars Rubikis has the full measure of this symphony, gave it good shape and managed some good pin-point turns, but overall this was not as much fun as the work Ton Koopman, not to mention Nicholas McGegan, did in similar repertoire.

Dvorak Symphony 7 was given a most "symphonic" reading, tight and at times exciting, but the reading lacked the genial and natural feeling, as well as perfect playing that Lu Jia achieved previously.

CD Recommendation: Vocal

CD Recommendation

Last week I heard at a friend's place L'Arpeggiata's Via Crucis (Virgin) album, and was immediately taken by it.

Today I was happy to find the ensemble's Monteverdi recording Teatro d'Amore (Virgin) in the public library. It is every bit as inviting, indeed the best Monteverdi disc I have heard. Sample the stunning singing in the youtube below of Lamento della Ninfa and you shall be converted.

These are some of the most beguiling sonorities and singing on disc.

Concert Review: HKPO-Renes-DeYoung-Skelton

Concert Review: HKPO-Renes-DeYoung-Skelton

September 2, CCCH
HKPO-Lawrence Renes-Michelle DeYoung-Stuart Skelton
Mozart-Mahler

I have always liked watching upcoming conductors more than tired "maestros", but my first encounter with Lawrence Renes, former protege of indisposed Edo de Waart and contender for the HKPO job, was a mixed bag. Renes had appeared with the HKPO before in Bruckner, which unfortunately I missed. Coming from the Dutch tradition, he is allegedly well schooled in Mahler and Bruckner.

I was surprised how the first half dragged. It was apparent Renes has good technique and clear direction, but the Mozart Jupiter sagged under an imposed weight that would more befit its immediate predecessor, the tragic G minor. The pedestrian performance was a curious blend of modern practice (little vibrato) and old sentiment (including slow tempo) that never took flight. Early on in his tenure with the HKPO, EdW had conducted this piece much more effectively (one of his best efforts).

The Mahler Das Lied von der Erde fared better but was not a complete success. Many of the orchestra's principals were on sabbaticals and their replacements had not quite gelled with the orchestra. The winds remained the perennial Achilles' heel, but overall the orchestral playing was good, loud enough when needed but too cool in temper. Best was Stuart Skelton, whose heldentenor quality was immediately apparent. I found Michelle DeYoung curiously lacking. On the surface, she produced some beautiful tones, but her interpretation was perhaps too considered and did not flow. The final movement, Der Abschied, was fragmentary and failed to resolve the piece.

Bach, Musica Antiqua Koln and Tadao Ando

Bach, Musica Antiqua Koln and Tadao Ando
I recently chanced upon this 2007 Berlin Classics DVD of Bach's Art of the Fugue. Two things caught my attention:

-it was played by my favorite Musica Antiqua Koln, who disbanded immediately after.

-the playing took place in a building (museum) in Germany designed by Tadao Ando.

I watched it on 中秋節 and was riveted by the musical performance. After a while, the (minimalist) architectural lines under the camera's obsessive scrutiny became tedious, even narcissistic, but the magnificent music carried the day.

The director of the film speaks here.

Someone has loaded most of the video on youtube. As you know, piecing things together this way is not at all easy. At the bottom is my feeble attempt. For completeness, I urge you to buy the video.



Contrapunctus 1:



Continued:



Contrapunctus 4:



Canon a la ottava:



Contrapunctus 5:



Canon a la decima:



Contrapunctus 8 (click here; cannot embed)

Contrapunctus 9:



Contrapunctus 12:



Fuga a 2 Clavier:



Canon per augmentationem:



Contrapunctus 14:

Movie: Tree of Life

Movie: Tree of Life

General Info:
imdb
wikipedia

Tree of Life, the latest film of Terrence Malick, was many years in the making, garnered much attention, and won the 2011 Palme D'Or. There is little need for me to describe the film. There is much great writing on the film by various critics, and I urge you to read the following:

New Yorker film review
New york Times film review (also articles behind the scenes; also here)

Image and Classical Music that Speak
For this viewer, considered as a movie, this one is an instant classic. But it is more than that, as the film can be savored on many levels.

I watched it in Broadway Cinemateque. The quality of the print and photography are simply stunning, and I'd reckon the best I have watched on the silver screen, inviting comparisons with the IMAX shorts offered in museums. Who needs 3D?

But for people who listen to classical music, the movie is a must-watch. Although there is an original score, classical music permeates the film, and it would not be an overstatement to say the role it plays is no less than any actor. The way "Die Moldau" and Mahler's First Symphony (more than once) are used are simply stunning, and reveal a deep understanding of the music. If you would, those fragments can be considered among the greatest classical music MTV I have ever watched (think Hans Jurgen Syberberg's Parsifal).

For those curious about the music used, New Yorker music critic Alex Ross provided a comprehensive guide. There is more, in this Blog the music is not only listed, but samples are provided for you to savor! Thanks to people who care!

Concert Review: Shenzhen SO - Ehwald - Ma Vlast

Concert Review: Shenzhen SO - Ehwald - Ma Vlast

July 29, 2011, Shenzhen Concert Hall
Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra - Christian Ehwald Smetana Ma Vlast

Christian Ehwald returned to conduct the last concert of the SSO season. The program consisted of only one work, a rare treat of the complete Ma Vlast, though regrettably there was an intermission.

I cannot have enough praise for Ehwald's fluent conducting of this mammoth work. Smetana composed this work over a long time, and the individual tone poems in lesser hands do not always feel like part of the same fabric. Despite the intermission, Ehwald most skillfully knitted the work into an organic whole, no mean feat.

Ehwald natural phrasing was always evident, and as usual was mindful of structural integrity. Under his steady but gentle leadership, the orchestra warmed up quickly, blossomed and went from strength to strength. The beautiful playing of the harpist (not the Russian leading lady) set the mood, but it was the woodwind section that really shined above everything. The "pictorial" depictions demand the utmost of the woodwinds and they delivered in spades. The winds had to play almost non-stop, and up and down the scale. Take one example, the opening of Vlatva, when I watched the recent movie "Tree of Life", which uses this music, I instantly recalled the woodwinds in this performance, of the utmost coherence and beauty, really as good as the soundtrack (supposedly from the incomparable Czech Philharmonic)! Of such integrity was the performance that the closing pair, Tabor and Blanik, truly brought the piece to a resounding conclusion.