David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. Orchestra (Seat J103, $80).
Frank Huang, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, and Salonen at the end of the Shostakovich Cello Concerto.
Program
Concerto No. 1 for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 107 (1959) by Shostakovich (1906-75).
Symphonie fantastique: Episode de la vie d'un artiste (Fantastic Symphony: Episode in the Life of an Artist), Op. 14 (1830, rev. 1832) by Berlioz (1803-69).
Let's jump right into it, starting with the Shostakovich concerto.
Fairly or unfairly, the British cellist Kanneh-Mason is best known for performing at Harry and Meghan's wedding, believed to be seen by 2 billion (yes, B) people. I suspect that number eclipses all other cellists - even Yo Yo Ma playing at a president's inauguration did not garner such numbers. The natural question is: how much hype, and how much substance?
Having listened to this, there was a lot of substance. To this non-cellist, the concerto seems impossible to play well, and they young (b. 1999) Kanneh-Mason did an excellent job. Being seated in the tenth row, it was amazing to see how he pulled the piece off without any difficulty. He played an encore: Prelude No. 18 by Mieczyslaw Weinberg. (Per the review in "New York Classical Review," Google couldn't figure it out.)
Whenever it comes to this work, a couple of things come to mind. One is for me the definitive performance remains the one by Alisa Weilerstein, back in 2011. That was the performance that made me "understand" the concerto, and it was the first time I heard it. The specifics may not stay with me, but the "spark of understanding" will always be there. The other is this Shostakovich theme of D-S-C-H, which we heard in his quartet performed in Hamburg not even a week ago. I am happy to say that idea still remains refreshing.
The story behind Berlioz's symphony, and Berlioz's obsession with Smithson, is well-known. Today's Program Notes includes the notes Berlioz himself penned, although the narratives are so familiar by now that it was barely necessary.
The piece is also a showcase for an orchestra's capabilities, and NY Phil certainly met the challenges with ease. I suspect this piece is so "standard" that the ensemble would put in a solid performance even without a conductor. Salonen, who recently quite the San Francisco Symphony, was certainly enjoying himself.
Four harps (!) used in the Berlioz piece.
Sitting in Row J, we could clearly see Salonen enjoying the concert. What's not to like?
In Berlioz's own words. I suppose this was translated from the French, especially the composition was premiered in Paris.
All in all a great concert. One could ask how these two pieces found their way into the same program. I can offer up one compelling reason: both pieces rely heavily on their respective themes. We talked about Shostakovich earlier, and in Berlioz's case it was the "idee fixe" that did the job. Well, Dies Irae didn't hurt, either.
Regardless, this was an immensely enjoyable concert; and I didn't even have to prepare for it.
We were in NYC earlier in the day for Anne's medical appointments, and drove to Hoboken, parked our car, and took public transportation into the city. It worked out well, but made for a long day.
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