Lviv National Philharmonic of Ukraine. Theodore Kuchar, conductor; Oksana Rapita, piano. February 17, 2023.

State Theater of New Jersey, Orchestra (Seat K5, $31.84).

Program

Chamber Symphony No. 3 for Flute and String Orchestra by Yevhen Stankovych.

Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 by Grieg.

Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92 by Beethoven.

This is taken at the conclusion of the encore, during which the US and Ukrainian flags were displayed.

The program has traditional war horses in masterpieces by Grieg and Beethoven.  What is special is this Chamber Symphony by the Ukrainian composer Stankovych.  The wikepedia entry for him has him born both in 1942 and 1951, in the town of Szolyva in Hungary, which became today's Ukrainian city of Svaliava.  The piece is about 20 minutes long, and for the uninitiated sounds more like a flute concerto (in any case with the flute front and center).  Being my first encounter with the composer's music, I can only characterize the style as "propulsive," with a repetitive rhythmic pattern repeated many times in the orchestra, occasionally by the flute.  The piece certainly sounded more tonal than many contemporary pieces of today, but I would be hard pressed to single out any memorable melody.

The evening started with a composition by the Ukrainian composer Stankovych.  I couldn't find the name of the flutist in the program.

In the limited information I can find about the program, I don't see the name of the flutist.  I would think he warranted a mention.  As far as I could tell, the orchestra had a different person in the principal flute position (given where I sat, I caught only glimpses of the woodwind section).

If one were to name the most well-known piece by Grieg, his piano concerto must rank high on the list.  For good reason.  And tonight's soloist acquitted herself very well with her performance.  We were seated quite close to the stage, so could hear her well, most of the time.  There were still some passages where she was overwhelmed by the orchestra.  That perhaps is the lot of the soloist in a live performance.  The crowd was very appreciate after the first movement and break into a rather extended applause.  The problem with a captivating first movement is that it's a hard act to follow.  Perhaps the composition is to be faulted for that sort of (semi)letdown?

The audience greatly appreciated Oksana Rapita's performance of the Grieg piano concerto.

Similarly with Beethoven's Seventh, the defining movement (perhaps because of the movie Immortal Beloved) is the second.  The first, third and fourth movements constitute music that build up to and relax from the iconic second.  Measured that way, the performance was a disappointment.  I found the second movement to be too fast, too mechanical, and too devoid of nuances.  When performed well, the listener would admire how Beethoven can make great music with the simplest ingredients.  Tonight's performance made the composer repetitive and unimaginative.

The full orchestra after performing Beethoven's Seventh Symphony.

The orchestra played an encore piece that got many in the audience excited.  There were quite a few people wearing (what we think) "national clothing" for Ukraine, and a few clergy.  The concert had to have a special meaning for them.  For both the orchestra and the audience, the exuberance was tinged with a certain melancholy and sadness.