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In Reply to: A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Symphony.......... posted by Todd Krieger on April 18, 2012 at 08:09:55:
Well I finally got to listen to the "new" Cleveland Orchestra and Franz Welser Moest in the flesh for the first time........ Three works were performed, Mendelssohn's 3rd Symphony ("Scottish"), Kaija Saariaho's "Orion", and Shostakovich's 6th Symphony.........
The Mendelssohn "Scottish" is one of the benchmarks of the great Cleveland Orchestra under Christoph von Dohnanyi, which I heard both in the flesh and on recording. So the bar was set high...... The current Orchestra performed as what I much expected....... The strings still had the incredible volume and intonation, but not quite the precision it once had.
The "Scottish" opening bars, with second violins and winds, later joined by the first violins, lost of touch of the "luxurious" sound the Orchestra once had, but still first rate. I did notice that the Orchestra's principal flute and oboe were not present for this piece (they were present for the Saariaho and Shosty), which I thought might have filled that void. Later in the opening movement, during the initial climax, the strings had the closest semblance to the Szell/Maazel/early Dohnanyi era, but the "snap" in the brass was gone. Moest kept the pace very nicely throughout the opening movement. The second movement had clarinetist Franklin Cohen put out a first rate opening melody. But unlike the electric Dohnanyi performance, that hair-raising magic was MIA. The wind articulation (except for Cohen) got lost in the strings, and the pace wasn't quite brisk enough. This was a prime example of what I find disappointing in Moest- The drama isn't there whenever the music calls for it. The final two movements fare better, however. The third movement once again kept a pace that avoided indulgence, a common failing. The phrasing wasn't quite at the level of the old Orchestra, but fine nonetheless. Moest's final movement once again was somewhat reserved, but the pace at least was there. Moest saved the best for the final melody, which was sung with high spirit, a very important part of the work. The work was performed without pause (I think because Moest wanted to avoid applause between movements- a common trait in S. California audiences), and afterwards, the audience gave a nice ovation. One person stood up, then a couple more, and after half a minute, it was a standing ovation. Although the applause stopped after only one return to the podium by Moest. The loudest part of the ovation was when Cohen stood up.
After the intermission, the second work, Kaija Saariaho's "Orion", I'm afraid I am not familiar with to comment. It was a modern piece, with a lot of sustained tones from various players of the Orchestra. Also utilized the Segerstrom Hall organ, directly behind the stage. Maybe someone else who attended the concert can provide more insight. It was not exactly a piece that held my interest.......
Then came Shostakovich's Sixth Symphony, which I also have relatively little familiarity with (in contrast to the Fifth), but with what I heard, it was definitely a first-rate performance. I really was able to get a good idea how the various players on the Orchestra perform. My complaint about the wind section is mainly volume in the flutes and oboes, there is nothing wrong with Joshua Smith's or Frank Rosenwein's tone. (Although Rosenwein tended to cut notes short. His instrument doesn't really "sing".) They might be superlative with smaller chamber works. I was impressed with Mary Kay Fink on piccolo and Robert Walters on English Horn. Fink had excellent projection while avoiding the common piccolo failing of sounding "piercing" or out-of-tune. The trumpet section with principal Michael Sachs was definitely first rate, although not the mindblowing group the Orchestra once had with Bernard Adelstein. The rest of the brass section sounded somewhat "reserved". I did think the split violin arrangement makes the "string balance" a lot more tricky, although the second violins were easily heard. (The large orchestra was shoehorned onto a smallish stage.) The Orchestra's percussion was always first rate, and got a nice workout in the Shosty finale. Although I had a feeling that the Orchestra's "crescendi" tended to sound like a puree of noise in the Segerstrom Hall...... It was difficult to determine how much of it was the Orchestra and how much of it was the hall. Another standing ovation by the near-capacity audience.
And finally, with all the renowned orchestras visiting Segerstrom Concert Hall, a visually stunning venue, I was not bowled over by the acoustics in the place. (At least my initial vantage point.) I sat near the front of the Orchestra section (just behind and above floor level- great view of the orchestra/stage) somewhat to the right side, mirror to where I was seated at the John Williams concert at Mesa AZ's Ikeda Auditorium. But I thought Segerstrom acoustically was not at the level of Ikeda. (But still far better than Phoenix Symphony Hall.) Unlike Ikeda, it was difficult to pick out individual string players. The timpani had a slightly "muddy" quality. Percussive harmonics from triangle and xylophone did better. I was also under the impression that "sound reinforcement" might have been used. The hall had "folding walls" at the three balcony levels that were "partially open" during the concert.
Aside from the gripes, it was an enthralling evening. And would likely see other world-renowned performers there in the future.
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Follow Ups
- Concert Review.......... - Todd Krieger 04/18/1223:00:55 04/18/12 (3)
- RE: Concert Review.......... - Rockethead26 04:57:58 04/19/12 (2)
- RE: Concert Review.......... - Todd Krieger 17:38:53 04/20/12 (1)
- RE: Concert Review.......... - Rockethead26 18:11:45 04/20/12 (0)
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