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SYMPHONY REVIEW:
Re-finding Bach,
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By Joseph Bloom
A paradox at the heart of Webern's orchestration of Bach emerged in the performance of the "Ricercar in Six" from "The Musical Offering" by the Berkeley Symphony at Zellerbach Hall Friday. The concept of "The Musical Offering" is so close to a Platonic ideal, that it is too limiting to suggest that a particular instrument play a particular voice, for any instruments can only attempt to trace the ideal lines of the music. How then does Webern orchestrate such a work?
Webern's answer is to look into the interior of each voice and turn it
into a constantly rotating kaleidoscope of changing timbres with the
integrity of Bach's counterpoint as the unifying axis. For instance,
the first voice opens with a muted trombone that almost unnoticeably
changes to muted horn and then muted trumpet. Rather than try to
imitate orchestrally the eternal immutability of Bach's polyphony, Webern honestly acknowledges the impossibility of this task by doing the very opposite and inhabiting a world of appearances in which
change is occurring constantly.
Within such a realm of skidding timbres, one of the conductor's main problems is to maintain a balance between the voices from moment
to moment. Achieving this creates the stable framework that holds the
interior orchestral ferment together. Nagano was only partially
successful in this regard. The ensemble also lacked togetherness
when the rhythms in the different voices were the most dissimilar.
Some of Webern's instrumental combinations are inspired, for
example bass clarinet and pizzicato basses in octaves, or the use of
high pitched timpani. Bravo to the bass player's brief solo.
In spite of his orchestral intent, Webern can't resist the occasional
mounting climax to mark the end of a section; thus, ironically, for
brief moments there is a commonality between Webern's and the
grandiose orchestrations a la Leopold Stokowski, which otherwise lie a
pole apart.
In a pendulum swing from Mahler's vastness, Webern creates a condensed
world surrounded by mirrors in which microscopic details assume
macroscopic significance. To listen to him requires a different "tempo" of
consciousness, one that allows a second to be perceived as a minute, and to be filled with rich inner life. Webern seems prescient of the coming challenges of twentieth century life, and the change in tempo of consciousness required now of all of us on an everyday basis.
By far the best playing of the evening occurred during the
performance of Schoenberg's Five Pieces for Orchestra as arranged for reduced orchestra by the composer in 1920. This was my first
encounter with the chamber orchestra version of the work, and I was
fascinated. One each of the winds (flute alternating with piccolo),
only a single horn representing the brass, a string quintet, piano
and celesta. Nothing else. The original version, in contrast, calls
for massive orchestral forces.
Though some of the more gigantic expressionist outpourings weren't
there, and the climaxes (as in the beginning and end of the fourth
movement) seemed threadbare, the richness of the large orchestra version
was replaced by the joy of a finely wrought chamber music experience,
expertly crafted by Nagano. Not much of the original's moods,
textures and contrasting timbres were lost, though repainted in new
colors and color harmonies. Even where Schoenberg could have used the same instruments from the original, he often chose a different instrument of another color. Every individual musician should be singled out for splendid playing, and the horn playing was exceptional.
The Schoenberg was followed by the U.S. premiere of "Shadows" by
Hungarian composer Peter Eotvos (Urt'vurst), a mildly interesting
piece using a compendium of twentieth century effects that
contained one salient (slow) movement containing timpani melodies
played on one drum using glissando between melody notes.
Just before intermission, orchestra cellist Matt Brubeck played a
meditative and then jazzy improvisation on Happy Birthday to honor
Berkeley Symphony angel Margaret Stuart Graupner.
Paul Badura-Skoda performed Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major (K. 503). This is one of those near great works that minus the blinding effulgence of greatness makes it easier to observe the genius of Mozart at work--the felicity of every nuance, every turn of phrase, every junction and transition. Unfortunately, most of this was not in evidence Saturday night. From first to last conductor and soloist could not seem to get together: neither rhythmically nor stylistically, on entrances, or even on placement of beats.
The piano playing was marred by muddled passage work that was often out of rhythmic alignment. There were balance problems in
the orchestra, its playing in general lacking style, elegance and
nuance. Some lyrical piano playing in the slow movement was
smothered by bad intonation in the upper winds, especially in the
flute. In all fairness, it should be added that the performance
received a very enthusiastic response from the audience.
(Joseph Bloom is a concert pianist and teacher, member of the San Domenico School music faculty, formerly on the Rutgers University and Bennington College faculties, and former WXQR classical radio host.)
©1998 Joseph Bloom, all rights reserved
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