| SYMPHONY REVIEW
Enigma to Eroica Ups and Downs
Philadelphia Orchestra
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By Heuwell Tircuit One of the thrills at Sunday evening's Philadelphia Orchestra concert was to be able to claim that you had made your musical debut in Davies Hall, accompanied by the Philadelphia Orchestra, no less. The concert opened with a drum roll, followed by the National Anthem. And of course, all rose. More of a surprise, all sang along and with a fervor one is not accustomed to hearing anywhere, anytime. While still a major ensemble, neither the conductor Wolfgang Sawallisch's programming nor the orchestra's performances quite rose to their expected standards. What we got was a program clearly designed for the provinces: Elgar's Enigma Variations, Op. 36, and following intermission, Beethoven's Third Symphony, Op. 55, the "Eroica". It made one all the more nostalgic for Eugene Ormandy, whose program here usually contained three or four piece of which half were from the 20th Century. Sawallisch's speciality has always been the middle and late Romantics, from Schumann to Richard Strauss. Not surprisingly, Elgar's Variations stood out as the main event, especially in the quick episodes. The slow variations, notably the famous Nimrod, were gorgeous, but at a cost to tempo. Sawallisch shamelessly milked such passages in a leisurely style better suited to Rachmaninoff. The famous "Nimrod" variation, after all, is neither a romanza nor an elegy but an ode to the unbending friendship of August Jaeger.
The Scherzo of the Beethoven was, however, nothing short of sensational. It brimmed with energetic vivacity and wit. So too the proportions of the Finale — perfectly beautifully judged, which is no small thing. Beethoven's shifts of tempo and texture are so constant in the Finale that it can be very difficult for the listener to scan. When an "Eroica" performance fails, it's usually because the Finale sounds too diffuse. Bravo maestro! But Sawallisch took a rather soft view of the first two Beethoven movements in ways that denied the Symphony's subtitle. What emerged in the first movement sounded less heroic than merely pretty, and not a little tired. More grievous was the second movement, the funeral march. Tempo was fine, but the sum lacked intensity. That flabby aspect turned acute when Sawallisch reached the great outcry of the central fugue. It ought to sound impassioned, but what we heard was more like a basic lecture for Counterpoint 101. Matters were not helped by taking the big first movement repeat, a dubious necessity is so large a work. And then, Sawallisch went through it literally, just as in the first outing. If you are going to play a first movement repeat, you are suppose to vary some small details -- bring forward a secondary bit of material, change whichever bit of rubato occupied the first presentation. Something, anything can serve the need. Otherwise, there's no point in taking a repeat other than for pedantic rigidity. When I looked to right and left, I saw a number of people actually dozing. In the "Eroica"! I would never have thought that possible.
Philadelphia can still boast a top class orchestra, no doubts about that. The traditions of its glorious string section were much in evidence. That was especially true of the lower strings. When the violas, cellos, and basses clamped down on a chord or took the melodic lead, the hall seemed to blossom into resonance. It was almost like stepping into strong sunlight from a dark cave. On the other hand, there were little smudges of intonation and ensemble playing all evening long. Nothing grave, mind you, but textures were not nearly as immaculate as of old. Perhaps it was the unfamiliar hall that threw the players off, but balances were also sometimes askew. Overbearing timpani, a sudden drowning of an important line in the violins, a raw bit of woodwind intonation And such did not represent the obvious virtuosity of these musicians. Of course, the fact that the Philadelphians were on tour and the shadow of tragic events so close to home may account for inattentiveness. Or perhaps the players were a tad bored with the programming. Who can say? (Heuwell Tircuit, composer, performer and writer, was chief writer for Gramophone Japan and for 21 years a music reviewer for the SF Chronicle, previously for the Chicago American and Asahi Evening News.) ©2001 Heuwell Tircuit, all rights reserved |