A Romantic program, featuring Russian composers at the outset and conclusion, was given an energetic reading at Strathmore
Saturday night (10/29) by BSO guest conductor Vasily Petrenko who was accompanied by soloist Barry Douglas for a rousing rendition
of Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 tucked within.
If last night's
performance is any indication, the 35-year old Mr. Petrenko soon will be joining the youth movement in conductors that dot
the classical music landscape from LA to New York City and many places in between. He seems a cinch to jumpstart any
one of the of the number of flagging orchestras and box offices out there.
Originally trained as a pianist and also an operatic conductor, Mr. Petrenko has a distinctly emotive style at the
podium. He uses both hands in conducting, along with emphatic facial language, to get what he needs from the musicians.
Rimsky-Korsakov's
Capriccio Espagnol established the evening's uptempo mood from the get-go. This Capriccio had
a lot of color and attitude. At times military - a march or a cavalry charge - at others folk-like - gypsy and flamenco
- this exuberant piece allows individual soloists to emerge from their respective sections with flare. The five movement
piece unfolded at a lively, melodic, and seamless clip - 15 minutes total - with the conductor frequently pushing the orchestra
to (or just beyond) its limits. The tension was demonstrable to the audience as well and as a live performance it was
a bit jostling though quite a thrilling ride. Acknowledging the applause as he returned to the stage, the maestro singled
out every worthy soloist from the strings, woodwinds, and horns, before motioning to the patrons in the chorister section
to also take a bow. Audiences being thanked during a performance ... this is something we want to see more of!
Mr. Douglas followed next for a go at Liszt's famous showpiece concerto.
The contrasts between the conductor and soloist could not be more striking: next to the extroverted and energetic Mr.
Petrenko, the laid back Mr. Douglas seemed almost reserved. While the conductor came across as a kind of a performer,
the pianist who directs Camerata Ireland looked as if he were capable of leading a symphony or two of his own, one on stage,
the other an 88-member ensemble at his fingertips. But they were each on the same page when it came to pacing and intensity.
Liszt assembled this work in the midst of a 25-year period of touring as a performer and it seems to have packed within it
everything related to 19th century Romanticism and virtuosity as we understand it. Belying his easygoing
manner, Mr. Douglas is in possession of a big sound, well suited to the Hungarian composer. The pianist opened with
a series of chords that sounded jarring to my ear, but quickly adjusted his performance tactilely. His intonation
during the quieter periods in the first movement and later in the adagio second was superb. And the dexterity and dynamic
range exhibited, whether during interspersed arpeggios or the fortissimo of the finale, were spellbinding. Mr.
Douglas's performance style is compact, delicate almost in phrasing, and he wouldn't be mistaken anywhere for the
actual Liszt, but close your eyes during the many allegro passages and you may think the old master has come to life.
The pianist's bold interpretation wowed the full house who called him back to the stage for an animated curtain call.
The first half
of the program felt like a ride on Space Mountain - steep ascent and heart-stopping re-entry. I was checking my pulse
at the intermission, wondering how or if they could hopefully slow things down. I got half of my wish with Rachmaninoff's
Symphony No 3, which alternates between the broadly romantic and the gripping modern. Composed in the mid-1930s,
the A Minor Symphony feels like a transitional work - partly soaring and majestic, partly discordant and jolting like
Shostakovich. The variations on a theme (actually two) turn light and dark in this complex work, where every nuance of orchestral
possibility is explored. Mr. Petrenko's handling of this rich score was sonorous and forceful and shades of everything
in between; he sometimes dropped the right hand baton beat and vigorously pulled the emotional intensity out of the orchestra
with a swaying left hand. I've heard recordings of the symphony previously, but the harmonics and the spatial resonance
of the music have to be experienced live to gain a true appreciation of the work. It says in the program notes that
the public initially was resistant to the unusual (for them) qualities of The Third, but it's slowly made its way into
the repertoire. This one will certainly argue for its continued performance.
In summary, the evening had a little of everything - a show-stopping opening number, a tour-de-force concerto performance,
and a wonderfully expressive symphonic work - spanning two musical eras. It was a night when everything that was possible
became so.
© John F. Glass,
October 30, 2011
