State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ. Balcony (Seat C102, $43).
Program
Four Sea Interludes from 'Peter Grimes,' Op. 33a (1945) by Britten (1913-1976).
Cello Concerto No 1 in E-flat major, Op. 107 (1959) by Shostakovich (1906-1975).
Symphonic Dances, Op. 45 (1943) by Rachmaninov (1873-1943).
Yesterday (1/31) a "Live from Carnegie Hall" notice popped up on the WQXR APP inviting listeners to tune into a performance by the RPO. As their website lists 2/3 as their next concert, in the UK, I was evidently catching the tail end of RPO's USA tour.
While all three pieces on the program were written in the mid-1900s, they are all rather popular and "easy listening."
The one piece I had heard the least - once, per this blog - I actually remembered quite well. It was the first time I heard Alisa Weilerstein, back in 2011. The 4-note theme, barely singable as a tune, has stuck in my mind ever since. Today's was a great performance, but not as impactful as what I remember of the one 11 years ago. The cello was a bit weak when played against the full orchestra. Per his website, he is about 30 years old, and plays on a Stradivarius.
In addition to the 4-note theme, the other noteworthy aspect of the piece is the third movement, labelled "Cadenza." Indeed it was a cello-only movement, and sounded and looked very difficult.
The Program Notes (such as it is) discussed at some length the 4-note theme, and labeled it as D-E flat-C-B. The actual score has the notes as G-F flat-C flat-B flat. Tried as I did, I couldn't quite get the two to sound the same. One of those days I will find an explanation. (The Wikipedia article on the concerto says its continually distorted and re-shaped; my question is if the tune is already unrecognizable at the very beginning, is it still that tune?)
That the piece sounded "familiar" when I listened to it for the second time was simply amazing. That speaks to either the genius of Shostakovich, or Weilerstein, or both.
Kian Soltani after performing the Shostakovich cello concerto. Per his website, he plays on a Stradivarius, but the varnish on this cello is light compared to most Stradivarii I have seen.
Alas, the same cannot be said about the other two pieces on the program, both of which I had heard on multiple prior occasions.
I did wish I had read up a little on Peter Grimes. I finally saw a taped version of the performance during the lockdown, and understood the story. I also recall parts of the Program Notes I read on prior performances - about these church bells, for instance. However, I had generally little idea of what was going on.
That it was useful to read up on a piece beforehand was reinforced with Rachmaninov. The piece was written a few years before the composer's death, and was actually his last completed work. People who know Rachmaninov's music well can probably recognize it as his work right away. To me it doesn't evoke the same romanticism. Of course I could read the composer into the music since I did read the Program. It wasn't until Dies Irae was introduced that I could say "of course it is." Perusal of prior blog entries before this had one conductor describe each of the dances as introducing a new character. I wish I had known that beforehand.
The cellist played an encore, a piece from Shostakovich's film score for "The Gadfly." It was arranged for the solo cello and the orchestra's cello section. The orchestra also played an encore: a familiar piece whose title I cannot recall. (The encore was listed as "Dance of the Tumblers" by Tchaikovsky for their 1/31 Carnegie Hall concert.) The piece was fast and "rowdy," but showcased how precise the musicians were.
After performance of Rachmaninov's Symphonic Dances. This is a rather large orchestra, with over 50 string players, and another 30 of other instruments. If the conductor was bothered by the low attendance, he didn't show it at all.
We bought two tickets for the concert, Anne couldn't go because the grandkids were with us. Finding parking off street was not difficult, even though the snowstorm on Saturday blocked off many parking spaces along Livingston Avenue. Traffic was light.
The last time I was at the State Theatre was February, 2020. In the meantime the place has undergone considerable renovation. The price on the ticket is $35, but an additional $8 in fees. My ticket was for the first three rows of the balcony, which was quite full. Otherwise the balcony was empty, so several people moved to Rows D and E. I sat in Row D.
Overall, this was an enjoyable concert. And I joined in the enthusiastic (for New Jersey audiences) applause for a job well-done.
The State Theatre underwent considerable renovations during the Pandemic. This is the lobby at the balcony level.
Ceiling of auditorium.
Taken 2 minutes before 3 pm. Empty section of balcony. A few more people moved to this area just before the concert started.
No comments:
Post a Comment