Century of Tchaikovsky
In concert: Honolulu Symphony with Vladimir Feltsman
By Ruth O. Bingham
Special to the Star-BulletinSOME years back it was popular to look down one's nose at Tchaikovsky, whose enduring popularity cast doubt on his worth. He has never, after all, been avant-garde and beautiful melodies have been out of fashion for much of this century. Worst, audiences tended to leave concerts humming his melodies, horror of all horrors, their cognitive functions obviously seduced and debased.
Sunday's Honolulu Symphony performance of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5,conducted by Vladimir Feltsman, did in fact leave the audience humming. Singing, even. Unapologetically embracing no-longer-guilty pleasures. Welcome to a resurgence of romanticism as this century closes.
Feltsman captured the bittersweet, melancholy yearning of soaring melodies, the dark and somber tread of the march, the effervescent, almost Mendelssohnian flight of the waltz without cynicism or irony. Feltsman presented a refreshing, even inspiring interpretation.
Wind solos contributed much to the symphony, and to Feltsman's credit, he gave soloists latitude to shape their parts. Notable were clarinetist Scott J. Anderson, French horn principal Sharon Jones, oboist Jason Lichtenwalter, and bassoonist Paul H. Barrett. Timpanist Stuart Chafetz made the most visually as well as aurally of Tchaikovsky's famous timpani "punctuations."
IN the first half, Feltsman performed Mozart's Piano Concerto No.24 in C minor, K.491, while conducting from the keyboard -- an amazing acrobatic feat. Pianist-as-conductor was how Mozart would have performed it, but Feltsman's version was not an "authentic" or "performance practice" version. Rather, it combined 18th- and 20th-century practices.
In the 18th century, the "pianist" (playing a fortepiano) sat in the midst of the orchestra, where he could maintain eye contact while seated and where the relatively small orchestra could hear him. "Conducting" consisted primarily of playing along with the orchestra (an unnotated part), making eye contact and nodding, cuing entries and occasionally beating time.
Feltsman performed the Mozart in front of the orchestra with the piano's lid up, standard for 20th century practice. Unfortunately, the lid blocked his view of the orchestra and he was forced to alternate sitting and playing with jumping up to conduct alongside the piano, his back to the audience. The dance was distracting, both to the audience and to Feltsman.
His divided attention often became audible, especially when conducting with his left hand while playing with his right. When he played without conducting, he played wonderfully. If only we could have heard him perform the Mozart one way or the other: either as an 18th century soloist/conductor more as it was done, or as a 20th century pianist.
Ruth O. Bingham has a Ph.D. in
musicology from Cornell University.
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