Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. Adelaide Town Hall. 19 Sep 2014
Wow! Double wow! What a concert! It demonstrated the depth of the orchestra’s ensemble, the programming was immensely enjoyable and included a surprise or two (see below!), and the conductor and soloist were spectacular.
Immediately prior to the performance pianist, Robert Levin addressed the audience from the stage and reminded us that improvisation was the norm in Beethoven’s day and that often only the first and last notes of cadenzas were notated by the composer with the expectation that the soloist would improvise the intervening bars. Levin asked members of the audience to write down some snippets of Beethoven’s music during the interval and he would select some of them and improvise a fantasy in the style of Beethoven.
American pianist Robert Levin performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.1 with great passion and bravura. Maestro Nicholas McGegan whipped the ASO into action and Levin asserted his authority almost immediately. The cadenza in the first movement was an object lesson in improvisation, although its energy, complexity and zeal was almost at odds with the rest of the movement. The second movement largo was particular beautiful and the dialogue with the clarinet was as tender as two young lovers in the first flush of romance. Levin set a cracking pace in the final rondo movement and McGegan clearly enjoyed the challenge as he patiently waited for the final note in the final cadenza to sound so that he could bring the orchestra back in to finish the concerto with a flourish. The audience loved it.
After the interval Levin selected at random some of the snippets of Beethoven’s music that members of the audience had written down. Predictably ‘Fur Elise’, the opening bars to Beethoven’s fifth symphony and ‘Ode to Joy’ featured, which Levin graciously didn’t reject, and he also selected the opening bars to the first Piano Sonata. He then sat at the keyboard and proceeded to improvise for ten full minutes and the result was impressive, very impressive indeed. Each theme was clearly evident and Levin wove them together with apparent ease. The audience greatly appreciate Levin’s pianistic skills, and the ASO is to be congratulated for scheduling this rather special part of the program.
McGegan then led the ASO in the runaway that is Symphony No.8. It exploded out of the blocks, and with the exception of the second movement, which is still marked allegretto scherzando, the pace and sheer volatility of the piece are relentless. In the wrong hands it can easily turn to musical mush and it takes discipline from the conductor to ensure that the texture remains clear. McGegan passed the test with flying colours, and he was particularly well served by the horns in the third movement.
At the start of the evening we were treated to a rousing performance of the Leonore Overture No.2. Like Leonore No.1, which was performed last week in Beethoven Fest 1, it has an episodic structure but we can hear how it is clearly approaching Leonore No.3, which will be played next year in a Master’s Series concert. The off-stage trumpet work of Matt Dempsey was particularly fine.
Kym Clayton
When: Closed
Where: Adelaide Town Hall
Bookings: Closed
