Friday, October 16, 2009Over the Top!by William Guy BarastTonight's concert by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra with Principal Guest Conductor Peter Oundjian was an absolute tour-de-force and a treat for fans of big, romantic-era orchestral music. The program featured Beethoven's Fidelio Overture, Wagner's Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde and Gustav Mahler's massive Symphony No. 7. The Fidelio overture got the evening off to a rousing start. Maestro Oundjian led a performance that was taut and muscular, yet sensitive and refined. Wagner's Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan required a dramatic shift of musical gears. The Prelude opens at the volume of a whisper, and Maestro Oundjian waited patiently to begin conducting until the audience was suitably quiet, which I fully appreciated. His reading was sensitive and well-paced; allowing Wagner's brilliant orchestration and delicate textures to breathe and fill the Hall. However, the Mahler Seventh was, as they say, worth the price of admission. Coming in at a solid 75 minutes, this gargantuan work is rarely performed. Perhaps the fact that it is scored for a huge orchestra including additional brass and winds, as well as plentiful percussion, mandolin, guitar and cowbells has something to do with this. The sounds of nature, military fanfares and marches all abound in this extraordinary work, and the closing Rondo-Finale is an absolute roof-raiser. While Oundjian's tempi were somewhat on the expansive side, this was much-appreciated as it provided the opportunity for me to fully appreciate the multifarious colors and textures that Mahler's imaginative scoring draws from the orchestra. Individual and section solos abound throughout this work; but for me the true stars of the evening were undoubtedly the French horns, led by Karl Pituch. If you missed tonight's performance, you have one more opportunity to hear this program, Sunday afternoon at 3:00. Highly recommended! Labels: Reviews, William Guy Barast |
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