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Orchestra plays Mozart and Strauss
Mozart gets the bum's rush
BEERI MOALEM
Mozart's Symphony No. 41, the Jupiter, has never sounded so insignificant. In the hands of Charles Dutoit and the Philadelphia Orchestra, Jupiter— Zeus, king of the Gods, largest of the celestial orbs— was eclipsed by a large Bavarian mountain.
Mozart's last symphony is an undisputed masterpiece, with more musical substance at 35 minutes and about 35 musicians than Strauss's An Alpine Symphony, which runs for almost an hour and requires more than 100 musicians. The Mozart packs more substance in its melodic interplay, counterpoint and formal manipulation. Yet on this occasion the Strauss, with its sheer volume and length, trumpeted the Mozart off the stage.
The Orchestra’s musicians knew that poor Mozart didn't have a chance in the first place. Knowing that they had yet to climb the grueling Alp, most of them conserved their strength for the tough stretch rather than give Mozart the 120% that he deserves. Strauss is also notorious for writing devilishly tough orchestral parts, and he probably received the lion's share of the rehearsal time. The result was a performance of the Mozart that lacked energy, passion, and precision.
Dutoit to the rescue, too late
A few of the musicians, mainly led by the principal second violinist Paul Roby, tried to infuse their playing with extra energy to keep the piece alive. But they were few and far between, looking silly bobbing their heads and using full bows next to stoic statues. Midway through the second movement, conductor Charles Dutoit seemed to realize that something wasn't working, and he tried to inspire the Orchestra with a few dramatically placed grunts, clearly audible as far away as row H. But it was too little, too late, and all this murmur accomplished was to turn the piece into a concerto for orchestra and growling conductor.
But the effort was futile from the start. How could you expect Mozart's greatest symphony to make sense as an opener, in the shadow of an imposing mountain journey? The Jupiter Symphony deserves to be the highlight of a program, placed at the end, in a concert with smaller-scale pieces. It had no business on this program— it's just not fair! Strauss stole the show, and half-assing the Mozart was a waste. A more suitable companion for Strauss would have been a Romantic-scale overture, or an interesting modern piece.
Wind and thunder, sunrise and sunset
That said, the Alpine Symphony was fantastic. Dutoit and the Orchestra told a thrilling story with a plenitude of colors and endless textures, varying from delicate to colossal. The musification of the waterfall was particularly successful, with individual violinists as individual droplets clearly heard over the roaring current. The storm section rumbled Verizon Hall to its foundations on this snowy afternoon, with a large metallic plate suspended behind the Orchestra, used to make wind and thunder sounds. The denoted sunrise and sunset matched the beauty of the real thing in the wild. Oboe and horn solos also shined.
After the concert, Dutoit joined two Philadelphia Orchestra administrators and talked a bit about the coming season. Dutoit thinly veiled a complaint that the "Philadelphia Sound" isn’t what it once was, because many young musicians are unaware of the "great traditions" of Ormandy, Munch and Monteaux. He spoke about a focus on Berlioz and the products of Diaghilev's infamous Ballet Russes.
Next year: New packaging, same old composers
The Orchestra also presented its new marketing gimmick: four profiles for four different types of music lover. Are you a "Masterworks" collector who wants to hear the "enduring classics" again and again? Are you a "Connoisseur" who seeks the "most moving and inspiring works"? Are you adventurous enough to try the "Odyssey" collection, featuring "new works and old favorites"? Or are you just looking for a great night out on the town with the "Celebration" collection?
The whole scheme is fun, and very attractively produced in a glazed, colorful and probably expensive brochure (your donation dollars, hard at work). Yet ultimately it comes down to nothing but new wrappers for the same ol' composers. The entire 08-09 season will include only one premiere, only four composers whom I don’t recognize, and only a handful of pieces that I’ve never heard of.
BEERI MOALEM
Mozart's Symphony No. 41, the Jupiter, has never sounded so insignificant. In the hands of Charles Dutoit and the Philadelphia Orchestra, Jupiter— Zeus, king of the Gods, largest of the celestial orbs— was eclipsed by a large Bavarian mountain.
Mozart's last symphony is an undisputed masterpiece, with more musical substance at 35 minutes and about 35 musicians than Strauss's An Alpine Symphony, which runs for almost an hour and requires more than 100 musicians. The Mozart packs more substance in its melodic interplay, counterpoint and formal manipulation. Yet on this occasion the Strauss, with its sheer volume and length, trumpeted the Mozart off the stage.
The Orchestra’s musicians knew that poor Mozart didn't have a chance in the first place. Knowing that they had yet to climb the grueling Alp, most of them conserved their strength for the tough stretch rather than give Mozart the 120% that he deserves. Strauss is also notorious for writing devilishly tough orchestral parts, and he probably received the lion's share of the rehearsal time. The result was a performance of the Mozart that lacked energy, passion, and precision.
Dutoit to the rescue, too late
A few of the musicians, mainly led by the principal second violinist Paul Roby, tried to infuse their playing with extra energy to keep the piece alive. But they were few and far between, looking silly bobbing their heads and using full bows next to stoic statues. Midway through the second movement, conductor Charles Dutoit seemed to realize that something wasn't working, and he tried to inspire the Orchestra with a few dramatically placed grunts, clearly audible as far away as row H. But it was too little, too late, and all this murmur accomplished was to turn the piece into a concerto for orchestra and growling conductor.
But the effort was futile from the start. How could you expect Mozart's greatest symphony to make sense as an opener, in the shadow of an imposing mountain journey? The Jupiter Symphony deserves to be the highlight of a program, placed at the end, in a concert with smaller-scale pieces. It had no business on this program— it's just not fair! Strauss stole the show, and half-assing the Mozart was a waste. A more suitable companion for Strauss would have been a Romantic-scale overture, or an interesting modern piece.
Wind and thunder, sunrise and sunset
That said, the Alpine Symphony was fantastic. Dutoit and the Orchestra told a thrilling story with a plenitude of colors and endless textures, varying from delicate to colossal. The musification of the waterfall was particularly successful, with individual violinists as individual droplets clearly heard over the roaring current. The storm section rumbled Verizon Hall to its foundations on this snowy afternoon, with a large metallic plate suspended behind the Orchestra, used to make wind and thunder sounds. The denoted sunrise and sunset matched the beauty of the real thing in the wild. Oboe and horn solos also shined.
After the concert, Dutoit joined two Philadelphia Orchestra administrators and talked a bit about the coming season. Dutoit thinly veiled a complaint that the "Philadelphia Sound" isn’t what it once was, because many young musicians are unaware of the "great traditions" of Ormandy, Munch and Monteaux. He spoke about a focus on Berlioz and the products of Diaghilev's infamous Ballet Russes.
Next year: New packaging, same old composers
The Orchestra also presented its new marketing gimmick: four profiles for four different types of music lover. Are you a "Masterworks" collector who wants to hear the "enduring classics" again and again? Are you a "Connoisseur" who seeks the "most moving and inspiring works"? Are you adventurous enough to try the "Odyssey" collection, featuring "new works and old favorites"? Or are you just looking for a great night out on the town with the "Celebration" collection?
The whole scheme is fun, and very attractively produced in a glazed, colorful and probably expensive brochure (your donation dollars, hard at work). Yet ultimately it comes down to nothing but new wrappers for the same ol' composers. The entire 08-09 season will include only one premiere, only four composers whom I don’t recognize, and only a handful of pieces that I’ve never heard of.
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