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SYMPHONY REVIEW
November 13, 2005
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By Alexander Kahn
Monumentality seemed to be the theme for the Marin Symphony concert on Sunday at the Marin Center. The evening opened with Elgar's Introduction and Allegro for String Orchestra, a towering achievement of the string ensemble literature. The orchestra continued with Mozart's Symphony No. 38, the “Prague,” the first of his venerated final four.
Last on the program was Brahms' Violin Concerto, Op. 77, which clocks in at a taxing and formidable 40 minutes. While the Brahms hit its mark, the pieces on the first half of the program fell somewhat short of their targets.
The success of the Brahms was due in no small part to the artistry of soloist Axel Strauss, a German-born violinist who now teaches at the San Francisco Conservatory. Strauss' reading of the piece was remarkably flexible, drawing attention to layers of detail through tempo modification and dynamics. Above all, Strauss emphasized the radical shifts of mood throughout the piece, from the alternately fiery and lyrical passages in the first movement to the jocularity of the third. His performance had an air of refreshing spontaneity that made it seem that the violinist was exploring and discovering the piece anew rather than delivering a pre-packaged interpretation of a great masterwork.
Strauss' artistry was infectious, and the orchestra responded with a solid yet subtle accompaniment. The beginning of the second movement was particularly noteworthy for its expansive opening oboe solo, played with wonderful expression by principal Margot Golding. Throughout the concerto the ensemble played with impressive dynamic range, matching the shifts of mood suggested by Strauss. Music Director Alasdair Neale kept his ear keenly on the soloist and thus safely guided the orchestra through the many rubatos taken by the soloist.
Sadly, the first half of the concert did not match the quality of the second. The opening chords of the Elgar — a treacherous series of unison double-stops for the entire orchestra — were marred by ensemble problems. Balance was also problematic throughout, as the first violin section tended to dominate and overwhelm the rich writing for the cello and bass sections. Balance issues were complicated by Elgar's setting of a solo quartet against the backdrop of the string orchestra — this solo ensemble often failed to penetrate the sound of the larger group. Mozart's “Prague” Symphony fared better, with excellent ensemble and clean playing throughout the string section. The third movement had a good deal of infectious energy. But unlike the reading of the Brahms, the performance of the Mozart lacked sufficient contrasts and mood shifts. Many of the frequent juxtapositions of forte and piano dynamics came off as a steady stream of mezzo-forte.
(Alexander Kahn is a Ph.D. candidate in Music History and Literature at UC Berkeley, where his research is focused on the Hollywood emigres. He is also the assistant conductor of the Oakland Civic and the UC Berkeley Symphony orchestras.)
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Axel Strauss
