Asian Youth Orchestra/Weilerstein/Pontzious

6 August, 2008
Asian Youth Orchestra/Weilerstein/Pontzious
Barber/Elgar/Prokofiev
CCCH

It was nice to hear again the AYO, an an old friend. The typhoon waned just in time for me to get to the CCCH. Four friends joined me for the concert. Two of them got the LAST 2 tickets, but when we went in, we found a half empty hall.

It was really nice to have heard Barber's Second Essay, richly colored and atmospheric, sometimes a little like a film score.

This is my second encounter with Alisa Weilerstein in the same concerto! Of her NYPO performance 2 years ago (in NYC) I wrote before:

"...The audience was out in full force, no doubt to catch a glimpse of the young cellist Alicia Weilerstein in the Elgar cello concerto. She came out in a pink dress and played magnificently. Wasn't DuPre frequently dressed in pink? Her tone was hugh and beautiful, though sometimes just a bit off-center. She was tempestuous and took chances, and that was good. Perhaps a bit more pathos would not be wanting but too much to ask. The Elgar seems to be in vogue and this cellist's playing was superior to the others heard recently. Zubin Mehta accompanied most tightly but one wished for some tenderness. An English Elgar this was not..."

In comparison, last night's performance was somewhat of a let down. Tempo was debilitatingly slow. This brought out many moments of pathos and reflection, and the murmuring of the cello amid the beautiful pianissimo playing of the violins was quite a marvel. Weilerstein's playing was more nuanced and quite different from before. She is playing this on tour with the AYO and surely trying out different things. She remains a spontaneous player and that's all to the good. A widened dynamic range, sometimes going from a strong attack immediately to a whisper, proved a difficult blend with the orchestra, which was suppressed too much by Pontzious, and the overall flow was quite distorted. Nonetheless, just as before, I admire her romantic abandon and spontaneity. And her lightning fast attacks, strong phrasing and accenting constitute the kind of playing I like to hear in the cello, which can just sound too flaccid too often. For an encore she played a movement of solo Bach, in her fearlessly unrepentingly romantic way. While it made me uneasy, this is one player to watch.

Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet excerpts showcased the orchestra's proficiency as well as its deficiencies. Overall the playing lacked the cogency of the Barber. There is no question the players have heart in spades, and this yielded many nicely characterized moments. The strings were marvelous in pianissimi, but just slightly less penetrating in fortissimi than their professional counterparts. The winds were surprisingly well blended and a joy to hear. The sometimes perilous playing of the horns had good tone. The brass, especially the low brass, was generally weak and louder passages were frequently not well supported, robbing crescendoes of heft, despite the valiant attempts of the generally good percussion section (weaker cymbal player). Part of this may be due to the conductor, who is a straight shooter. This time he got more color and tidiness out of the orchestra than his effort last year, but some roughness and seams were still showing. Last year the guest conductor Okko Kamu totally transformed the orchestra and I hope this year's James Judd can do the same. I still fondly remember the complete ballet given by the HKPO under guest conductor Richard Bernas in Shatin 。

As usual, the best was saved for last. The encore, the "Galop" from Kabalevsky's "The Comedians" was virtuosic and rousing.

The concert shall be simulcasted on ATV World Channel and RTHK4 on 24 August at 1:55 pm.

Concert Review: St Petersburg PO/Temirkanov

Concert Review: St Petersburg PO/Temirkanov

14 April, 2011, Carnegie Hall
St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra-Yuri Temirkanov-Alisa Weilerstein
Rimsky-Korsakov-Shostakovich-Brahms

The St Petersburg is one of my favorite orchestras and I think Yuri Temirkanov is under-rated (as his predecessor Mravinsky is probably over-rated overall). Fortunately, they tour extensively (a reality for Russian orchestras, to earn hard cash), and it is not inoften that I get to enjoy them. NYC sees them often offering multiple concerts, and I attended the second of a pair.

The opener, Rimsky-Korsakov's Prelude to Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh, received a wonderfully atmospheric reading, the gentle rumbling in the strings and pliant woodwind solos balanced in perfection. This is the kind of thing only Russians bring off, and much more enjoyable in the concert hall than on records, an illustration of the fact that, no matter how good your hifi is, a live atmosphere is most difficult to reproduce.

I have previously sung the praise of cellist Alisa Weilerstein. She proved a more than capable soloist in Shostakovich's Cello Concerto No. 1. Neither her playing nor the accompaniment were the most razor-sharp: contours were a bit softened rather than (over) etched, phrases more flowing than emphatically punctuated. In her solo moments Weilerstein was more than a bit indulgent sometimes, but one admired her big temperament. Although one missed a little the sardonic wit of Shostakovich, the reading was eminently satisfying for the beautiful playing and emotional delivery.

Brahms has been previously featured by Temirkanov. His Fourth Symphony received a fresh reading from the Russian forces. One hesitates to say they brought a unique Russian quality to the reading. Instead, I think their innate musicianship and spontaneity stand them apart from the crowd. No risk of cliche's nor routine here. Even more than the previous pieces, the musicians gave a lesson on how to listen to and play with each other, while being utterly colorful in their solo's. Esnemble was not always immaculate, but the freshness of approach carried the day.

The encore was a magnificently noble rendition of Nimrod from Elgar's Enigma Variations. It felt like an elegy.

Czech Philharmonic Semyon Bychkov

Review: Cezch Philharmonic - Semyon Bychkov

In the West, the once glorious Czech Philharmonic has been off the map for far too long. Its instability since the Velvet revolution meant a rapid succession of stop-gap directors, none of whom left much of a mark (see wiki entry). Aside from continual close performing and recording ties with Japan, its profile was lower than many more stable "newly" ascendent orchestras (like the Budapest Festival under Ivan Fischer, the Russian National under Pletnev, the Mariinsky under Gergiev, the Staatskapelle Berlin under Barenboim, even Academia di Santa Cecilia under Antonio Pappano). That just goes to show the importance of a strong and visionary director.

The tide started to turn when Jiri Belohlavek resumed leadership in 2012, culminating with a Decca contract and acclaimed recordings, which were put into uncertainty in 2017 by Belohlavek's sudden passing. Semyon Bychkov, a regular guest since 2013, was recently appointed the director (over two Czech principal guest conductors). However, although it seems Bychkov has been positively received, his Decca Tchaikovsky recordings had garnished only mixed reviews.

It has been the longest time been I heard the Czech PO, and I was ultra eager, especially since they are reported to be on the rise again. Though my expectations were largely fulfilled, they were not unmarred by question marks.

Saturday, October 27, 2018, Carnegie Hall, 8 PM
All - Dvorak with Alisa Weilerstein

I had heard Alisa Weilerstein live twice before in Elgar and own her recordings, and thus know her well. Much of what I said about her style still rings true for this performance. For my taste, the Cello Concerto was just too much on the indulgent, soft and "feminine" side - tenderness abound, but there was not much muscle. What bothered me even more was her tendency to scoop a little and the mildly, perhaps intentionally applied, portamenti. To me, The Dvorak is not like the Elgar, and needs more discipline. The orchestra played beautifully, in great detail, and with great feeling.

Like the Cello Concerto, the Symphony No. 7 was on the stately side. There are many approaches to this symphony, and obviously Bychkov preferred not to drive too hard nor rely on sheer "brilliance". Instead, he sculpted patiently and built structurally, resulting in a classically proportioned and lyrical performance. The orchestra sustained the journey, and every little detail, every little solo, was played with great insight, telling and delectable. Even if the big moments were not the "biggest", it was a winning performance.

For encores, two Slavonic Dances were played fastidiously, models of refinement rather than oomph.

Sunday, October 28, 2018, Carnegie Hall, 2 PM
Mahler 2nd Symphony
Elizabeth Kulman, Mezzo
Christiane Karg, Soprano
Prague Philharmonic Choir

Bychkov conducted Mahler's 2nd Symphony much as expected - patient, meticulous and, dare I say, somewhat dispassionate. Tempi were broader than usual. Again, lyricism is emphasized over grotesquerie.

The great satisfaction and anticipation derived from the previous evening was sustained for the first half of the work. The first movement's discourse was well planned out and the crescendos and climaxes well crafted. The orchestra's sonority was burnished - how the lower brass blended with the lower strings; and the fine horns and the exquisite winds. Never was there an ugly sound, which some would say is not the way for Mahler. The next three movements fared the best, Bychkov finding much beauty and fresh details, though contrast was less than usual.

As the gargantuan finale unwounded, the good feeling started to dissipate. I did not time it, but it just felt slow - almost excruciatingly so. The Prague Philharmonic Choir were superb in both soft and loud moments, and both soloists were excellent. However, the orchestra, particularly the brass, seemed to have tired and Bychkov seemed to be dragging things along. For me, there was little feeling of transcendence; the climaxes felt rather empty and the "resurrection" came too late.

The massive force deployed had seemed excessive for the deliverance. Perhaps I was alone, as the audience seemed wildly enthusiastic. One notes Bychkov had received almost universal praise in his performances of this piece, one of his calling cards, with many top orchestras. I'd be curious what teh NYT would say.

This was an afternoon concert and the orchestra had played a full program the previous night. I love the orchestra's sonority and wish to hear them any time. However, it did seem the CPO/Bychkov relationship would need a little more time to mature.