Music
Music involves the study of sound organisation into patterns of melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre to create compositions.
Music involves the study of sound organisation into patterns of melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre... View more
Organizer:
- Organized by
-
-
Haefliger takes a walk on the wild side in Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto with Fort Worth Symphony, Edusei
-
Haefliger takes a walk on the wild side in Brahms’ Second Piano Concerto with Fort Worth Symphony, Edusei
CONCERT REVIEW:Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra
November 17, 18 & 19, 2023
Bass Performance Hall
Fort Worth, Texas – USA
Kevin John Edusei, conductor; Andreas Haefliger, piano.
Alexander ZEMLINSKY: The Mermaid
Johannes BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 2Gregory Sullivan Isaacs | 20 NOV 2023
The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presented a fascinating concert this weekend in the sonic splendor of Bass Symphony Hall. For one thing, it was a chance to hear the legendary pianist Andreas Haefliger playing Brahms’ monumental Piano Concerto No. 2. The other was hearing the long-lost-but-recently-found Die Seejungfrau (“The Mermaid”) by the Austrian composer Alexander von Zemlinsky. The bonus was the opportunity to experience principal guest conductor Kevin John Edusei’s work on the podium. But alas, all three were not what was expected in Saturday’s performance.
Kevin John Edusei is a young conductor with a blazing worldwide reputation. He is headed to occupying A-list podiums by way of some impressive recent conducting debuts, such as conducting La bohème at London’s Royal Opera House. In Fort Worth, he holds the position of principal guest conductor. In fact, the program opener, Zemlinsky’s 45-minute ultra-romantic tone poem based on Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Little Mermaid,” allowed Edusei to take a star turn.
Recently, Disney’s magic turned this bitter-sweet tale into a global phenomenon. Zemlinsky’s 1901 take on the story is more literal (we think). The composer didn’t leave a scenario behind for us to follow. All we know is that a badly ending romantic liaison at the time left the composer with a broken heart.
However, some musical sections seem to invoke parts of the story. The first movement is certainly aquatic enough, while the second movement has some hunt music as befits the royal trappings surrounding a prince who is the poor sea creature’s impossible love interest. The last movement paints musical pictures of his royal court.
Zemlinsky’s music pushes the envelope of the lush chromaticism and complexity of the era, such as we hear in the tone poems of Richard Strauss, to its breaking point. There is little wonder that composers, such as Zemlinsky’s pupil Arnold Schoenberg, found themselves painted into a stylistic corner. Where do you go with tonality after it received such extravagant chromatic fattening, pushing it into the seductive waters of atonality?
Kevin John Edusei leads the FWSO in Alexander Zemlinsky’s “The Mermaid.” (credit: Karen Almond)
There is little doubt that Edusei knows every note and phrase of Zemlinsky’s tone poem. Perhaps it is even one of his signature pieces. Impressively, he caught the audience’s attention right from the start and held us in his thrall right to the spectacular ending. However, it would be better for the piece itself to be “extravagant” rather than his baton technique. Even his baton itself is showy with its length.
Unfortunately, “excessive” is also a good word to describe Andreas Haefliger’s brutal and wild approach to Brahms’ stately and dignified second piano concerto.
While displaying transcendentally nimble fingers, Haefliger attacked the piano with Bartok-style force. It wouldn’t have been so troubling if he had hit more correct notes. But in launching the decent of his fingers from a foot above the keyboard, his aim was occasionally off enough to produce a tone cluster rather than the notes Brahms wanted. Adding to the confusion, Haefliger tended to rush in the fast parts, causing Edusei and the erstwhile orchestra to try to catch up with him. Further, much of Haefliger’s playing was difficult to discern because it was over-soaked in a sustaining-pedal fog.
Considering Haefliger’s stellar reputation for presenting definitive performances of masterworks from Mozart to Beethoven, there must have been a superb interpretation of Brahms’ concerto hidden somewhere in Saturday evening’s bizarre performance.
We all have off nights. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
About the author:Gregory Sullivan Isaacs is a Dallas-based composer, conductor, and journalist. He is also a coach and teacher with a private studio.
RECENT POSTS
-
0 Replies
Sorry, there were no replies found.
Log in to reply.