(Left: Jiracek
von Arnim)
(Von
Arnim was focused on the long-term goal and saw the full trajectory of the
music. At the same time, he was also focused on creating the perfect touch.
Each note was a carefully manufactured entity. Review by Dr Martin Goldstein)
The third concert of the KZNPO Summer
Season, 2020, which took place on February 27, 2020, was part of a worldwide
celebration of the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. Accordingly, much of
the programme was devoted to his compositions. The conductor Yasuo Shinozaki,
who opened the season, was called upon again to impart his dynamic touch. The
orchestra played two works by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), firstly his
Coriolan Overture, Op 62 in c minor (1807); then his Piano Concerto No 5, Op 73
in E-flat Major, “Emperor” (1809). The concert ended with Symphony No 7, Op 70
in d minor (1885) by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904).
Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture was an
overture to Heinrich Joseph von Collin’s tragedy by that name. The fact that it
is in C minor is not incidental. It was a key which he reserved for full-length
works of great pathos and turbulent drama.
The orchestra’s performance of it was brisk
and crisp with a fast tempo. Throughout, there was a restlessness which Shinozaki
managed to keep going. The recurring two-note motifs created much excitement
together with the compelling tremolos in the upper strings.
Beethoven completed his fifth piano
concerto just before the French invasion of Vienna in 1809 and dedicated the
work to Archduke Rudolph. The political climate of the time no doubt played its
part in compelling Beethoven to actualise the futility of heroism. This might
be suggested by the opening chords of the first movement which seems to
celebrate victory before the battle has begun. And yet, the slow movement
contains one of the most beautiful melodies Beethoven ever wrote.
The orchestra’s rendition of the work
showcased the talent of a suitably chosen pianist, Jiracek von Arnim, who is
noted for his interpretations of Beethoven. Since 2011, he has been the
Artistic Director and Chairman of the “International Beethoven Piano
Competition Vienna”. He is certainly a fitting performer to honour the
two-hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of the composer’s birth.
In the Allegro, von Arnim displayed his
disciplined technique. His playing was characterized by a polished, light
touch. There was good rhythmic coordination between the brass and the upper
strings. Von Arnim was unpretentious and worked sympathetically with the
orchestra to create the right ambience. He was focused on the long-term goal
and saw the full trajectory of the music. At the same time, he was also focused
on creating the perfect touch. Each note was a carefully manufactured entity.
In the Adagio un poco mosso, von Arnim really pulled back. Shinozaki worked
with him and the orchestra to conjure up an ethereal beauty. The finale, Rondo:
Allegro, was marked by a joyful, dance-like character. Von Arnim displayed
impressive, agile scale work. The upper strings matched this with a similar
drive and coordination. For his encore, von Arnim performed a work by Schubert
with a famous folk melody. Once again, his playing was characterized by a
lovely soft touch and notable agility.
Dvořák’s seventh symphony was conceived
during a period when his music became more subtle and nuanced than in his first
Slavonic period, which drew on elements of Slavonic folklore. Nevertheless,
nationalistic elements remain, notably in the 15th-century hymn tune used in
the seventh symphony. This period in his career is infused with a dramatic
quality with stark, expressive contrasts.
This sentiment was certainly felt in the
orchestra’s rendition of the work. The Allegro maestoso was marked by dynamic
contrasts throughout. It was dark and brooding in the beginning. Later on, it
was splendid and regal or bustling and jolly. The brass rendered an
awe-inspiring performance. There were well-coordinated part entrances between
the strings and the rest of the orchestra. In the Poco adagio, there was a
delicate blossoming sound with finely inter-woven melodies. Again, the
contrasts were stark with sudden moments of majesty and grotesque opulence. In
the Scherzo: Vivace – poco meno mosso, there was a new freshness with a joyful
mood and a sense of optimism and dynamic drive.
In the Finale: Allegro, there was a sense of reminiscence pitted against
more glaring contrasts. The mood throughout the work and throughout the concert
was one of formal dynamism. – Dr Martin Goldstein
The
final concert of the Summer Season will take place next Thursday (March 5,
2020) in the Durban City Hall at 19h30. Booking is through Computicket. To link
direct to the KZN Philharmonic’s website click on the orchestra’s banner advert
on the top of the page or visit kznphil.org.za
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