United States Thorvaldsdóttir, Prokofiev, Shostakovich: Sergio Tiempo (piano), Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra / Ludovic Morlot (conductor), Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, 12.3.2022. (DD)
Thorvaldsdóttir – Metacosmos
Prokofiev – Piano Concerto No.1 in D-flat major, Op.10
Shostakovich – Symphony No.10 in E minor, Op.93
Following two-and-a-half years of not having heard live music, my return to the Walt Disney Concert Hall to hear the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Ludovic Morlot felt like a miracle from on high. This late-season concert, which included exquisite masterpieces by Sergei Prokofiev and Dmitri Shostakovich, opened with a stunning one-movement orchestral work by Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdóttir.
Thorvaldsdóttir’s Metacosmos is singular and uniquely lovely. It begins by evoking an unexplained ‘place beyond’ and continues on a path of enchantment for 15 minutes. From the opening moments to its somber but magical disappearance, Metacosmos is redolent with some of the most evocative sounds this listener has experienced. To my ears it represented an evolving musical struggle between chaos and beauty, which was Thorvaldsdóttir’s intent. Her composition fills a broad-based sound zone with a pervasive musical flow: it must be heard, and heard again.
The ‘clumps’ of sound are continuous and carry the individual overlapping voices, often with fragmentary acoustic lines and knitted phrases, replete with occasional interruptions. The sonic direction is clearly phrased and musically motivated. The music itself is firm and strongly constructed, set in a vision of what might be described as swirls of a purely aural mass, swirls which build and define an understanding of the universe we inhabit. It is, as has been said, a universal experience: for me, it was overwhelming.
Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No.1 followed – a piece that led to recognition of Prokofiev as a first-tier keyboard performer and, even more importantly, as a master composer. The concerto was premiered in Moscow less than two years prior to the First World War. Like virtually all of Prokofiev’s piano and orchestral compositions, it is exquisitely beautiful yet demands uncompromising virtuosic ability, and pianist Sergio Tiempo more than fulfilled his obligations. This was the first time I had heard Maestro Tiempo play: he is unquestionably one of the best contemporary pianists, and I look forward to future performances.
Rhythm is rightly cited as one of music’s predominant elements, and when it came to driving this particular concerto, Tiempo showed his pianistic and rhythmic mastery in each of the three movements. From downbeat to final chord, the pulse was strong and steady, not overly driven, and the pure musicality of the concerto proved to be a primary basis and purpose. Tiempo’s musical strengths were evident everywhere, but the delicacy and taste that accompanied the middle movement was an even more direct acknowledgement of the work’s beauty. That Tiempo’s technical ability is superseded only by his divine taste was demonstrated in the encore: Liszt’s ‘Consolation No.3’, which Tiempo dedicated to his father who died on 28 February. The contrast between his awesome power in the Prokofiev Piano Concerto and the sensitivity shown in the Liszt was heart-breaking. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house, including mine.
The concert closed with an unforgettable Shostakovich Symphony No.10, which stands among his masterpieces. Indeed, Shostakovich declared that he wished to make it one of his most heard works, and that wish has understandably been granted. It is as grand as any symphony I know of, and demonstrates both the majesty and delicacy that mark the best in musical composition.
First-time listeners ought to be aware of the ‘signature’ that Shostakovich attached to it: a clear statement of four notes that stand as a kind of musical signature: the tones D/E-flat/C/B natural might be read in musical terms as D/S/C/H, a kind of coded moniker for Dimitri Shostakovich. These tones arrive suddenly in the third movement and are heard repeatedly, up to the symphony’s victorious conclusion. What this might mean beyond simple identification is not entirely clear, or perhaps intentionally ‘unclear’, but many have concluded that the tones mark a melodic signature which Shostakovich audibly engraved to the symphony. What it might mean in the context of the symphony itself is often discussed and argued in musical circles. Nonetheless, its presence is true, real and piercingly, sometimes achingly, audible.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic is recognized as one of the world’s outstanding orchestras, and its incredible diversity in both programming and performance were on full display. One could cite many instances of extraordinary musicianship – from individual players to full ensembles – and these instances include ones that amaze or amuse, make us laugh or weep, and always broaden our understanding of this great art. Hats off to all members of the orchestra, but these participants deserve special citation in the Shostakovich: Sarah Jackson (piccolo), Boris Allakhverdyan (clarinet), Whitney Crockett (bassoon) and Andrew Bain (French horn). As with the rest of the orchestra, the performances were beyond outstanding.
Douglas Dutton
Bravo!