Baltimore Symphony offers hot program with Juanjo Mena, Augustin Hadelich
The intrepid folks who ventured out Thursday night to Meyerhoff Hall heard a most rewarding concert by the Baltimore Symphony. The repeats there Friday night or Saturday at Strathmore would be well worth braving the black ice for. Every guest appearance by Spanish conductor Juanjo Mena over the years has been notable; this one is no exception.
He's a wonderfully romantic interpreter -- in the best sense of that word (at least as I define it -- and, hey, making grand pronouncements is my hobby). Mena loves to put a singing quality into phrases, to find little bends and breaths within a tempo, to make as big an effort for delicious pianissimos as for thunderous explosions.
To start, he offered a Haydn symphony -- No. 85 ("La Reine") -- and shaped it with great sensitivity. It's absurd how infrequently Haydn turns up at the BSO (at most orchestras, I suspect). There are so many attractive themes, so many clever ways of developing them, so many vivid touches of orchestration in nearly all of his many symphonies. The way Haydn explores every angle of the simple tune used in the second movement of this particular score, to mention one example, is simply a marvel. You can't help but smile. The BSO responded elegantly and cohesively to Mena's winning way with this work.
It was fun hearing the Haydn just before another four-movement piece filled with attractive melodies and a strong rhythmic pulse --
Roberto Sierra's Sinfonia No. 4, which the BSO helped to commission with 11 other orchestras. The composer's knack for creating both razzle-dazzle and subtle shimmering from essentially traditional instrumentation was evident at every turn.
The first movement's dark harmonies added a piquant flavor; the way the movement slowly ground to a halt, like an engine running out of fuel, produced an intriguing effect. The brassy, percussive punch of the second movement and the ultra-Latin dance band drive of the finale proved irresistible.
The ensemble seemed to share Mena's obvious enthusiasm and delivered considerable technical and expressive fire. Acknowledging the warm ovation afterward, the conductor picked up the score from the podium and gave it its own bow.
The second half of the evening was devoted to the Brahms Violin Concerto, which introduced soloist Augustin Hadelich to the BSO guest artist roster.
The young German violinist has a startling back story. A dozen years ago, when he was 15, his upper body, including his bow arm, was badly burned in a fire. But he returned to the violin quickly and has been enjoying a fast-paced career. It's easy to hear why.
Hadelich's tone is exquisite, never losing its sweetness even when, as in the finale of the Brahms, it gets an infusion of sinew. His musicality is equally impressive. He had the familiar concerto sounding fresh and vital, not to mention intensely poetic, and he enjoyed supple support from Mena and the orchestra.
The performance had a downright heart-warming quality, which may explain why I didn't even notice the cold when I left the hall.
PHOTO COURTESY OF BSO
Comments
I was surprised that neither the soloist or his conductor acknowledged the great oboe soloist in the Brahms. But you didn't either... maybe it was just me. Sarasate said, “Would I stand there,” he said, “violin in hand, while the oboe plays the only melody in the whole work?”
Posted by: Mike the Oboe Fan | January 28, 2011 2:29 PM