Yefim Bronfman and New York Philharmonic Triumph with Rouse, Lindberg, and Tchaikovsky
The NY Phil kicked off 2014 on the right foot this past week with an engaging, forward-leaning program that pretty much had something for everyone. Music Director Alan Gilbert, now in his fifth season, seems to have settled into a relaxed mode of presenting scary modern music—long the bête noire of orchestras around the world—in a way that's both bracing and satisfying, without ever feeling forced. Whether it's the CONTACT! new music series, the presentations of stage works with Giants Are Small, or this spring's inaugural Biennial, it's hard to escape the footprint of contemporary music on the Philharmonic these days.
Another of Gilbert's innovations has been the establishment of the Kravis Composer-in-Residence, a fixture at most major institutions which has been conspicuously absent from the Philharmonic throughout its history. From 2009-2012, the post was held by Magnus Lindberg; currently, it's held by Christopher Rouse. (Note to Phil: next time, try not to default to an old white dude.) The requirements of the post are somewhat vague, but at a minimum, the C-i-R's are on the hook to write one new work for the Phil each season. (Rouse's Fourth Symphony will be premiered by the Phil during the Biennial in June.) Gilbert also claims that Rouse has had an influence on his programming choices this season.
Being a C-i-R also means that you get to have some of your older works performed, which was the justification for Rouse's Rapture— written in 2000 for the Pittsburgh Symphony—which opened Tuesday night's program. A lush tone poem far more tonal than Rouse's usual output, the music builds organically from a low bass drone to a spirited climax driven by flitting winds, penetrating brass, and pounding percussion. Close your eyes, and it could have been written by Howard Hanson; towards the end, the strings sounded a lot like the third movement of John Adams' Violin Concerto.
Speaking of concertos, contemporary composers have found that one of the best ways to engage audiences is with a work that showcases a soloist's virtuosity, often challenging them with previously uncharted levels of difficulty. Case in point: Lindberg's Piano Concerto No. 2, which the Philharmonic premiered in 2012 with Yefim Bronfman—a beast of a pianist best known for his interpretations of Russian classics by Prokofiev or Tchaikovsky. Indeed, Fima, this season's Wallach Artist-in-Residence, claims he was a bit taken aback when first confronted with Lindberg's concerto.
"It's actually very, very difficult, and some of the passages are almost unplayable. But, then I thought about Prokofiev, whose piano sonatas were also said to be unplayable. And yet there were a couple of pianists—Richter, Gilels—who played it the way he asked them to, and since then no one is complaining."
Reprising his performance Tuesday night, Fima seems to have cemented his relationship with Lindberg's concerto, which vacillates between brutal dissonance and lush lyricism. In the first movement, Fima's hands flew across the keyboard while the Philharmonic brass resounded thrillingly overhead. The second movement, which proceeded without pause, had Fima somehow keeping up with the percussion, while the Finale featured the same explosive ecstasy as Messiaen's Vingt Regards. It's no surprise that Fima's recording of the concerto with the Phil has been nominated for two Grammys.
As much as I enjoyed these contemporary works, I don't know if I've ever heard the Philharmonic play with more confidence than they showed with Tchiakovsky's Fifth Symphony, which rounded out the program. (Not surprising, perhaps, given that they've been playing it since a year after it was composed, in 1888.) Gilbert, who conducted from memory, made the most of this chestnut, playing up Tchiakovsky's dynamics in ways that were more thrilling than expected. Even the oft-problematic Philharmonic brass sounded clear and brilliant throughout. Clearly, there's something good in the water when Gilbert's around; let's see if they can keep it up throughout '14.
Fima will be the featured artist on the next CONTACT! event this Monday at SubCulture, performing new works by Marc Neikrug and Marc-André Dalbavie, alongside a string quartet by Poul Ruders. Tickets and info here.
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