United States Various: Patricia Kopatchinskaja (violin), London Philharmonic Orchestra / Edward Gardner (conductor). Carnegie Hall, New York, 19.10.2024. (DS)
Britten – Sinfonia da Requiem
Shostakovich – Violin Concerto No.1 in A minor, Op.77
Tania León – Raíces
Sibelius – Symphony No.5 in E-flat major, Op.82
On the last night of their US tour, the London Philharmonic Orchestra made their mark at Carnegie Hall after a ten-year absence. Under the baton of Edward Gardner and with guest violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja, this was no mild return. Gardner prepared a lengthy evening – the likes of which rarely occur on US stages anymore – with four hefty works bold enough in character to maintain an enduring momentum.
The performance of Britten’s Sinfonia da Requiem was by far the star of the evening. While I won’t attribute it solely to their common nationality, there is something to be said for having a home-advantage expertise with a creator’s oeuvre. The string section played with a lyrical insistence that was at once vulnerable in emotive quality while firm in musical expression and so suited to Britten. The brass section consistently served velvety textures from their raised seating which, astonishingly, did not overpower the strings and blended exquisitely in the hall.
In Kopatchinskaja’s performance of Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No.1, it was no surprise to see her signature avant-garde and folk-like style penetrate the work from beginning to end. If this was a concertgoer’s first time hearing this canonical violin work, they might have wondered what to make of it. But for a veteran listener, there was much excitement to the almost improvisational framework that Kopatchinskaja presented with fervor and determination.
Entering the stage in a flowing dress covered in black squares and with enormous pockets, Kopatchinskaja reminded one of a woman of the Bauhaus about to put on a theater production. While she succeeded in teasing out an eerie abstract essence to Shostakovich’s searingly personal work, there were times, especially in the third movement, where her journey into the deconstruction of theme and motif thinned out too far, both in sound and in interpretation. As much as she jumped with excitement, dug her bow in or raised the scroll to vibrate as if starting an engine, her sound did not emerge enough. I believe it would have worked fantastically if re-written for ensemble and violin in a more intimate space – I would like to see and hear that.
After the intermission, we were treated to a recent work by Tania León entitled Raíces. To their credit, the players – in particular the percussion section – were having a rollicking good time, but the generally earnest style of the LPO did sometimes miss the intriguing nuances in Leon’s work. The references to musical theater, dance studio, jazz club and concert hall fare combined with ironic twists and turns needed more time and fluidity around them, something this performance lacked.
With enough vim to match their opening vigor, the London Philharmonic closed out the evening with a 10pm start to Sibelius’s Symphony No.5 – a testament to their inspired and powerful spirit. Maestro Gardner and the orchestra were well-suited to the work, imbuing it with radiant sound and a sense of vastness. While Sibelius is known for showcasing the brass, this interpretation had some wonderful surprises in store. The gentle solos of the principal bassoonist were divine, and Gardner’s inclination to bring the driving string motifs front and center gave this standard a truly distinctive freshness that was worth the wait.
Daniele Sahr