In a previous post
I complained that the Cleveland Orchestra’s programming this season was
reminiscent of a trip to Applebee’s. One
may argue whether or not the food is actually tasty, but one cannot claim that
it’s adventurous. The irony in my comment
is that I plan on attending more Cleveland
Orchestra concerts this season than ever before. Perhaps there is something to be said for the
tried and the true.
Last week, the season began with a
revival of 2014’s production of The Cunning
Little Vixen, which the orchestra will also be bringing to Europe later
this month. It was a highly imaginative
staging of a challenging and relatively lesser known opera – and it was a
delight to see it again.
This week, the orchestra presented a
program of two highly contrasting works: Beethoven’s String
Quartet in A minor, Op. 132 and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.
I vividly recall the first time I heard
Beethoven’s Op. 132. It began, like a
few other musical stories, in my grandmother’s basement. I found a box of old, mostly Classical
records – including 78rpm records and early LPs. One of those was a Columbia Masterworks mono LP
of the Budapest String Quartet playing this very piece. As I’d already heard the more popular symphonies,
concertos, and piano sonatas (in particular the “Appassionata”, about which I
was obsessed), I had certain expectations – which were promptly defied. If, in the Fifth Symphony, Beethoven shouts
to the audience, in the A minor Quartet, we hear his most secret and intimate
thoughts. One of Beethoven’s last works,
the Quartet was composed in the aftermath of a serious illness during which
Beethoven expected to die. But he
recovered and lived for another year and a half. The work begins with a brief introduction which
borders on the atonal before settling into the key of A minor – but not for
long, as the exposition features many abrupt starts, stops, and modulations. The heart of the work is the central movement, titled "Holy song of thanksgiving of a convalescent to a Diety". There is something about this movement
in which Beethoven leaves the physical world behind and enters the
metaphysical. I’m left wondering if the
composer had a near-death experience. The
final movement is one almost unrelenting despair until Beethoven modulates to A
major and ends the work on a hopeful note.
Franz Welser-Möst’s arrangement for string orchestra essentially
recreated the work in larger form, with the discreet addition of double-basses
occasionally reinforcing the cello line - one octave lower. Even with the larger orchestra, the work’s
intimacy emerged intact. The performance
was exemplary with the exception for a violin solo at the end of the brief
fourth movement – which notably broke the mood of the piece.
Following the intermission was
Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. If there
were any musings about the irony of performing the Rite of Spring at the
beginning of Autumn, they were quickly cast aside. There is often the temptation in this piece
to go the “sonic spectacular” route and let the brass and percussion drown out
the other instruments. Not this time. Welser-Möst, which used the 1947 version of
the score, brought forth many lines, particularly in the strings, which are
often inaudible. The opening
Introduction and Augers of Spring had a sensual quality, as if one was awakening
refreshed and stretching after a long nap – the woodwind playing was especially
notable here. Welser-Möst guided the
orchestra with a sense of inevitability through the Spring Rounds to the Dance
of the Earth – never allowing sheer speed to replace propulsive drive. The mystery of the opening minutes of The
Sacrifice was shattered by Glorification of the Chosen One, with the
Sacrificial Dance unleashing the orchestra’s full savagery. Often
noted for its refinement, our hometown band can get plenty loud when required –
but it was balanced loudness, without the distorted amplification that Dan
& I were subjected to at Ricky
Martin’s Las Vegas concert a few weeks ago.
The audience leapt to its feet in a sustained and enthusiastic ovation,
cheering as individual sections were singled out.
The audience was graced with an encore:
the Good Friday music from Wagner’s Parsifal. I hope there will
be more encores during the Cleveland Orchestra’s centennial season.
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