The top photo is the ubiquitous one that was plastered about town, sent in the mail to us subscribers and placed in the program. I assume it is the publicity photo of choice for this year. This had a couple of my friends ask if she was a Goth violinist (no, that would be Emilie Autumn, see earlier post). The second photo is not from this weekend but is similar to her look on stage on Friday. What I know from web interviews and chatting with her a couple of times after shows, a Goth projection on to her is rather hilarious (no pun intended). I do wonder about marketing classical music and music in general. Does a certain photo get more seats filled? I wonder who decides, Hilary, her publicist, Deutche Gramaphone, the PSO? She has been marketed well, sells relatively many records for these dismal record selling times, has won a Grammy or two, is one of the most recognizable classical musicians around (though that doesn't mean much these days). My youth was the end of that time when classical music still had some hold on popular culture and most people knew who Heifetz, Horowitz, Bernstein, Toscanini and Stokowski were.
I digress too much perhaps so let me address the concerto at hand. The show had but two pieces on the program (or so we thought). Hilary opened with the Sibelius Violin Concerto. I have spent countless hours listening to different recordings of this piece, which is rich in interpretive possibilities. While it is a conventional concerto in many ways with three movements, a long first one, slow second movement and virtuosic third movement, it has always struck me as an odd and interesting piece of music, Sibelius at his most romantic. Whoever decides on the marketing, it seems that Hilary was deciding on the interpretation here and Manfred Honeck and the PSO did their best to make it so. Hilary plays the first movement slower than any other violinist that I know. It does not actually come across as slow due to the intensity and incisiveness of the attacks from Hilary and the orchestra. The slowness gave it a more brooding quality, supported by Hilary's big sound. Played with precision and passion, brilliant runs and deep feeling. The big finish was perfectly coordinated, soloist, conductor and orchestra. Honeck had the dynamics of the orchestra such that the solo violin work was never lost (Sibelius does deserve some credit here as well). The middle movement was presented at a fairly normal tempo, in line with all violinists not named Heifetz or Kavakos. Again, brilliant passage work, clean and clear support from the orchestra brought things off well. Where Hilary played quietly, Honeck and the orchestra fully supported her. The quiet ending set up the fast and furious finale quite well. The orchestra opens and must set the pace. This was done with a lightness and bounce that is not typical of other performances. Hilary played the finale at Heifetz speed. Classical music experts know this as "very, very fast". Sibelius' writing and Hilary's playing at these speeds are "wow" inducing. Sometimes this movement can sound a bit clumsy or awkward if not done properly. Here it was lightness and power when needed, synced up with the soloist, Honeck and the orchestra were fabulous. The crowd was quite appreciative and Hilary gave us an encore that I did not know but believe to be a Bach piece. It may be off of her new Bach recording. This performance confirmed what I have thought for some time now about this seemingly mild mannered, erudite and soft spoken violinist. Hilary Hahn is an extremist. I could site numerous examples but won't here. I do not know why that does not seem readily apparent to others who write about her. Perhaps it is the mild manner and sweet even disposition, but do not be fooled. Of course, this extremism is in support of incredible music making and has my full support. I hope the PSO will bring her back soon, and while I am hoping, how about the Schoenberg Concerto that sold so well last year...please.
I actually was equally looking forward to the second piece on the program, Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony. It is a favorite of mine, was performed here briliantly by a true Shostakovich expert, our former music director, Mariss Jansons, and has a great back story. Shostakovich was the hottest young composer in the USSR in the 1930's. His opera, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk was playing to big crowds. The story is that Stalin then attended a performance and was appalled. Articles denouncing Shostakovich's music followed, decadent, formalist (never have been sure what that means when criticizing music), the articles written at Stalin's direction or maybe by the man himself. Perhaps this is the totalitarian version of Clinton's Sister Souljah moment. A scary time as less prominent artists were arrested, imprisoned, killed. Shostakovich did lower his profile and made overt amends. He put his Fourth Symphony in a drawer and started work on his Fifth. Just before the premier, a newpaper article atributed to Shostakovich called the symphony "a Soviet artist’s creative response to justified criticism". It is a big symphony, conventional in many respects, four movements, big opening movement, second movement scherzo, a long slow third movement and a big loud finale. The work was officially seen as an act of contrition and Shostakovich was off the hit list, at least for awhile. The question about this piece is raised by a friend of Shostakovich who published a memoir that claimed to be Dmitri's actual thoughts about this work and others. In it, Shostakovich calls this symphony and the last movement in particular, a parody of a celebratory symphony, forced rejoicing. Perhaps this does not matter, seventy years later though Jansons, who knew Shostakovich, was overtly in the parody camp when he performed this piece here. I am unable to not think on this when listening to this piece.
So what happened? Honeck performed the piece much as he has other big symphonies here. He stretched the dynamics of the piece about as far as it could go. There are great loud and soft passages so this provides great possibilities. His tempos were generally brisk in relation to other performances I know, and I think faster than Jansons here. The orchestra followed him every step of the way. The first movement had some nice touches, subtle pauses for emphasis, the violins presenting the main theme with great starkness and emotion. The climax, two thirds through was quite intense, setting up the quiet finish. That in turn set up the vulgar, over the top second movement, Andres Cardenes sweetly playing the solo violin parts. Shostakovich's slow movements are always my favorites and the slow, painful third movement was so here. The strings were quite expressive. Honek taking his time to allow the music to unfold. The climax again comes about 2/3 of the way through the movement, allowing the quiet ending to contrast with what comes next. The last movement opened big and loud and somewhat stately, then Honek put the pedal to the metal and sped up tremendously. i don't know if it is in the score but I don't recall other performances doing this. I loved it. Does this help place the Maestro in the parody camp? I expect that it does. I would like to know if he thinks it does. Again, Honek's use of dynamics and the orchestra's ability to bring it off added dimension to an already intense experience. In the midst of this loud finale are some beautifully quiet moments. Things did get loud again, with the brass and timpani making powerful statements and then we were done but for the clapping.
Or so we thought. While a soloist such as Hilary Hahn performs encores routinely, the orchestra does not. While returning for yet another bow, Manfred stepped up on the podium with a mischievous look, whirled around and started in on Khachaturian's Masquerade, a silly little bouncy bit of brilliance. This really was great fun, perhaps another reference to Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony masking his meanings? You can take this too far, I suppose but it is something to consider.
Another great night with Manfred and the orchestra. Next up, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, first weekend in June, be there!!!
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