The format for orchestral concerts — overture, concerto, and intermission, followed by a symphony — isn’t exactly set in stone, but it’s common practice. Yet, if last week’s San Francisco Symphony concert was any indication, it may be a practice more honored in the breach.
Led by guest conductor Marek Janowski, the all-Beethoven program at Davies Symphony Hall proceeded in a wholly unexpected order. In place of the usual brief curtain-raiser, audiences were greeted with the composer’s Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major. After intermission came Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, with Juho Pohjonen as soloist, followed by the “Leonore” Overture No. 3.
This is hardly revolutionary, but at Friday’s performance, conducted by Janowski with exceptional verve and focus, the results were both bracing and a little disorienting. Still, the approach seemed to solve several of the problems that typically plague orchestral concerts. Instead of the perfunctory opening work — which audiences, still settling in and glancing through their programs, tend to regard as a throwaway — Janowski commanded attention with his dynamic account of the Symphony No. 4. With the soloist coming after the break, the usual postconcerto migration toward the exits didn’t happen. And putting the “Leonore” overture in the postintermission time slot afforded it some well-deserved exposure as a dramatic work on its own terms.
Of course, none of this would have worked without forceful leadership, and Janowski came well-equipped. The Polish conductor, who has spent much of his career in Germany — he’s artistic director of the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra — has impressed in numerous past appearances at Davies Hall (and across Grove Street, at San Francisco Opera). Friday, he delivered once again. Attention to structure, unity of attacks and a firm sense of drive are paramount for this conductor, and under his baton, the orchestra made one of its most vibrant showings of the season.
Not everyone would agree with Janowski’s slow approach to the introduction of Beethoven’s Fourth Symphony, but the feeling of weight and strength he achieved was admirable. The zesty music of the Allegro vivace sounded muscular, dynamic; the woodwinds were incisive, with strong contributions from flutist Robin McKee, oboist William Bennett, and bassoonist Stephen Paulson.
Janowski unspooled the tender Adagio with a leisurely sense of flow, and gathered up the discrete threads of the final two movements in a performance of tremendous vigor — one that served Beethoven well, and created a keen sense of anticipation for the program's second half.
For many, the surprise there was the “Leonore” Overture, which also acquired weight and luster under Janowski’s direction. One could hear the composer’s struggles, and eventual triumph, on every page of the score; it seemed to register anew that this is music filled with drama and action. The Symphony musicians sounded heroic: Principal flutist Tim Day imbued his solo part with nobility, and the brass shone, with Mark Inouye delivering the pivotal trumpet signals from an upstairs tier.
In between, Pohjonen was the soloist for the Piano Concerto No. 3. The Finnish pianist, making his San Francisco Symphony debut as a Shenson Young Artist, made a fluid, sparkling entry in the assertive opening movement, and continued to play with technical assurance throughout. His is an essentially introspective view of Beethoven’s concerto; not for this artist the swooning mannerisms of some of his contemporaries. Yet even those who found him a mite recessive had to admire the clarity and nuance of his playing, and the firm, robust support supplied by Janowski.
If you missed his performance, Pohjonen will return to the Bay Area at least twice in 2011. On the day of this concert, it was announced that he’ll perform in recital for San Francisco Performances on Feb. 2, replacing the previously scheduled Till Fellner, who was forced to cancel due to an injury to his left hand. Pohjonen will also appear at Music@Menlo later in the season.
Janowski, meanwhile, returns to Davies Feb. 2-5 with more Beethoven. On the program are the composer’s Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2, and the Triple Concerto, with Chee-Yun, Alisa Weilerstein, and Jeremy Denk.