Monday February 28, 2011 - The Philharmonia Orchestra of Yale led by Shinik Hahm presented a programme of works by Ernest Bloch, Richard Strauss, Alberto Ginastera and Frank Martin (his Second Ballade, being given its New York premiere some 70 years after its composition) at Zankel Hall.
With so much going on in dance - and still doggedly going to the opera despite its dwindling appeal - I rarely get a chance to indulge my other favorite musical pastime: chamber music. But when this programme was offered and I found myself with a free evening on the calendar, I jumped at the chance to hear these works - none of them more than slightly familiar to me - in a beautiful venue and played by excellent musicians.
Shinik Hahm, photo by Bob Handelman. The conductor drew beautiful sounds from his young musicians all evening, commencing the programme with a performance of Ernest Bloch's Concerto Grosso #1 that could only be described as luminous. In this work, the piano is wonderfully woven into the string textures; the music is rhapsodic, cinematic and - I am always thinking of dance - could make a gorgeous ballet. The full-bodied playing of the Philharmonia's string ensemble gave the music a luxurious richness, and Jian Liu at the keyboard gave an added dimension of sonic appeal. Overall, some of the most satisfying music-making I've heard in the past half-century.
For the Richard Strauss Duet-Concertino, the featured 'voices' were those of clarinetist David Shifrin and bassoonist Frank Morelli. Strauss once described this piece as depicting a princess (the clarinet) being intrigued by a dancing bear (the bassoon); when she deigns to dance with the bear, he is transfomed into a prince. Schifrin and Morelli seemed to be having a fine time with the folksy, jaunty melodies while the ensemble supported them with some very classy playing, notably from harpist Maura Valenti.
The celebrated flautist Ransom Wilson performed the solo passages of the Frank Martin Ballade #2, a work believed to have been penned around 1939 but which was only discovered by the composer's widow in manuscript form in 2008. It was premiered at The Hague in 2009; the Yale Philharmonia gave the first US performances this month at New Haven and now here in New York City.
The work has a strangely ominous feeling, the atmosphere darkish and sometimes a bit creepy. The flautist must sustain notes of incredible duration while the piano adds another layer of dusky colour and the timpani rumble under the surface, sometimes bursting out in thunderous assaults. When one thinks of a ballade, one thinks of songlike phrases and pleasant textures; Martin gives us something altogether different.
The music of Alberto Ginastera - his Variaciones Concertantes dating from 1953 - provided a colourful finale for the evening. Recently at New York City Ballet we heard the composer's dazzling Estancia set to dancing by Christopher Wheeldon; the Variaciones are no less fascinating and one of the most pleasing aspects of the piece was the opportunity to hear from individual members of the Philharmona as the work progressed. Harpist Kristan Toczko and cellist Jeonghwan Kim instilled the theme with radiant tone, and others who merit special mention were On You Kim (viola) and Andrew Mee (French horn - my instrument), along with concertmaster Xi Chin who excelled all evening. But all the musicians were remarkably accomplished and painted the Ginastera score in brilliant hues. Restating the theme, Ms. Toczko and double-bassist Nicholas Jones played with shining clarity and poise. The ensemble then capped the evening with a festive Rondo.
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