United States Various: Vilde Frang (violin), Berlin Philharmonic / Kirill Petrenko (conductor). Carnegie Hall, New York, 18 & 19.11.2024. (ES-S)
Two years after their first New York visit with Kirill Petrenko at the helm, the Berlin Philharmonic returned to Carnegie Hall with two distinct programs presented over three concerts.
Monday night was devoted entirely to Bruckner’s monumental Symphony No.5, a work the composer never heard performed by an orchestra in his lifetime. Often regarded as the epitome of a musical cathedral, its architecture, in Petrenko’s vision, evoked a secular modern structure. The varied components of differing sizes and shapes were bound together not only by perceptible and elusive threads but also by the extraordinary willpower of the magus on Carnegie Hall’s podium.
From the pianissimo string pizzicato of the Adagio introduction to the final chorale climax, it was an extraordinary performance that clearly benefited from extensive rehearsal and earlier concerts at the Salzburg Festival, the BBC Proms and elsewhere.
The smooth interplay between strings and winds, with every detail perfectly distinguishable, was evident in the first movement and remained a hallmark throughout. Albrecht Mayer’s plaintive oboe at the beginning of the Adagio exemplified the distinctive quality of the Berliner instrumentalists’ solo interventions. Dynamic changes – fluid or abrupt, depending on the context – were executed with precision, while caesurae were afforded the same weight and importance as the blocks of sound. The performance was characterized by overall urgency: the Adagio unfolded with less solemnity than in other interpretations, while the ländler in the Scherzo were taken at a notably brisker pace.
Of course, the success of any rendering of Bruckner’s Fifth Symphony is ultimately measured by the execution of the extraordinary Finale, with its complex integration of sonata form, fugal complexity and choral grandeur – all prefaced by the innocuous, even jolly commentary of Wendel Fuchs’s clarinet. The culminating double fugue, intertwined with the first movement’s opening theme, was nothing short of hair-raising in its delivery, brimming with tension and electrifying precision. Even details seemingly peripheral to the inexorable fugal progression – such as the almost-cheerful violin theme floating above the pizzicato violas and cellos – were imbued with an urgency that heightened their impact. It was an unforgettable experience.
The program on Tuesday was eclectic, united by the interpreters’ avoidance of overly Romantic gestures and tight control over rhythmic patterns while still caressing the details in each of the scores. Replacing the injured Hilary Hahn, Vilde Frang stepped in as the soloist for Korngold’s Violin Concerto. This mid-twentieth-century work is avoided by many major violinists – not because of its difficulty, but for its association with overly sentimental Hollywood fare. The music is indeed imbued with beautiful melodies and skillfully orchestrated. Nevertheless, one can occasionally ‘see’ John Wayne riding valiantly across the sandstone buttes of Monument Valley, or elements of a lachrymose melodrama involving unrequited love.
There was little or no sentimentality in the approach of Frang and Petrenko. The violinist employed a nimble, unwavering tone, and any technical obstacles were dispatched with assurance. She maintained the same no-frills stance in her brief encore: the Giga from Montanari’s Violin Sonata in D minor. The performance was commendable, but it did not offer the kind of insight into Korngold’s music that would justify selecting this concerto over other twentieth-century works that have more to say.
If Korngold’s score is linked with the so-called ‘seventh art’, Rachmaninoff’s The Isle of the Dead was explicitly inspired by a painting – Arnold Böcklin’s work of the same title, a ‘dream image’ depicting a boat with an oarsman and a mysterious, white-clad passenger approaching a rocky island adorned with cypresses. Petrenko’s interpretation attempted to eschew lugubriousness, despite music that reflects Rachmaninoff’s obsession with the ‘Dies Irae’ motif. Rather than dwelling on an oppressive atmosphere, he brought focus to details such as the ominous gathering of clouds or the interplay between waves and oars. He ensured that the orchestral forces, with the brass powerful yet never overwhelming, were perfectly balanced, allowing even the tiniest voices to emerge clearly. At the same time, the musical arc retained its shape and tension.
Dvořák’s Symphony No.7 was treated like a precious gem, illuminated from different angles to fully reveal its merits. Supported by brilliant, virtuosic and cohesive orchestral playing, Petrenko highlighted the Brahmsian mold of the symphony – evident in the overall thematic development and rich orchestration – as well as the Tchaikovskyan influences in the sweeping, lyrical melodies.
The outer movements were dark and dramatic, sculpted from imposing blocks of sound that emphasized contrast and tension. Meanwhile, the inner movements shimmered with delicate details, such as the lavish and precise solo interventions of Yun Zeng, the newly appointed principal horn, in the Poco adagio and the exuberance of the furiant-based Scherzo, overflowing with rhythmic vitality and ludic energy. In the year of Czech music, the performance served as a reminder of the enduring richness of the Czech musical heritage.
Edward Sava-Segal
18.11.24
Bruckner– Symphony No.5
19.11.24 – Vilde Frang (violin)
Rachmaninoff – The Isle of the Dead, Op.29
Korngold – Violin Concerto in D major, Op.35
Dvořák – Symphony No.7 in D minor, Op.70