Above: violinist Maxim Vengerov
Friday January 23rd, 2015 - A "Russian Night" at The New York Philharmomic, with Maxim Vengerov as soloist for the Tchaikovsky violin concerto, followed by the Shostakovich 5th symphony. Long Yu was on the podium for what proved to be one of the outstanding concerts in an already-outstanding NY Phil season.
The Tchaikovsky violin concerto makes extreme demands on the soloist. Tchaikovsky wrote it for (and originally dedicated it to) Leopold Auer, who declared it unplayable; though eventually Auer mastered it, the premiere went to Adolf Brodsky. Since then, it has become a repertory staple, in part because players want to show their mastery of it and in part because it is such a melodically entrancing piece.
Of the concerto's 1881 premiere in Vienna, the critic Eduard Hanslick wrote that "...the violin was not played but beaten black and blue". Mr. Vengerov's playing was not violent, but in the intense passages where the notes fly off the strings at the speed of light one could imagine how the piece must have both astounded and baffled both musicians and audiences as the concerto began making its way into the international repertoire.
Vengerov, in the violin's first statements, showed an Old World warmth of timbre and a seductive sense of legato, while the orchestra brought a rich density of sound to their familar themes. As the technical fireworks loom up, the violinist dazzled with his accuracy and speed; in the cadenza there were a couple of wiry notes at the top of the register but these were swept aside by a masterful, uncannily sustained trill. Sailing forward, Vengerov continued to move us with his poignant expressiveness in the lyrical passages whilst evoking our smiling admiration for his brilliant dexterity in the blazes of fiorature. As he finished in a blaze of glory, the audience erupted in shouts of rejoicing and a full standing ovation ensued. After bowing repeatedly, Vengerov gave us an encore: a Bach adagio that showed his heartfelt artistry to perfection.
Following the interval, Long Yu (above) led a grand and deeply satisfying of the Shostakovich 5th. This symphony marked the composer's efforts to mollify the Soviet government following Joseph Stalin's scathing denunciation his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District in 1936. Overnight Shostakovich had become a persona non grata. He knew that his next symphony, the 5th, would be crucial if he was to continue his career. Although the 5th did indeed win a resounding success and salvage his reputation with the Soviet, he continued to fall in and out of favor with the government for years to come.
This is a symphony overflowing with marvelous thematic material. Conductor Long Yu painted a magificent sound canvas, drawing all the rich and varied voices of this incredible orchestra into a cohesive and beautifully-shaped whole. Shostakovich's orchestration is highly imaginative and constantly allures the ear with such vivid interjections as piano, harps, and xylophone. As the vast array of string players sail thru some really marvelous passages, whether plucked (in the witty Scherzo) or richly bowed, the composer provides the horns and trumpets with triumphal opportunities - resoundingly seized tonight - and there are splendid gems for solo winds: flute (Robert Langevin), clarinet (Anthony McGill), Liang Wang (oboe) and Kim Laskowski (bassoon). The outstanding playing of our acting concertmaster Sheryl Staples was rightly recognized by Long Yu as he presented her in a solo bow, greeted with 'bravas' from the crowd. Everyone in the hall had swept to their feet after the final chord echoed, hailing the orchestra, the conductor, and the resounding genius of Shostakovich.
A splendid night of music-making then, with the promise of much more to come in this Philharmonic season.