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Crescendo Ignace "Iggy" Jang |
Symphony celebrates
Russia’s rich
musical heritageThe Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! But wait -- this is great news for Hawaii. Russian music is as rich as its history, from unadulterated romantic melodies to heroic marches. This week at the symphony, we'll celebrate the legendary and passionate heritage of Russia with music composed by three of Russia's most dramatic composers: Liadov, Rachmaninoff and Prokofiev.
Did you know that Prokofiev's first stop on U.S. territory was Hawaii? In 1918 the deteriorating living conditions in his homeland forced him to escape, first to Japan and then to Honolulu. We'll present his dazzling Second Piano Concerto, which he first performed in 1913.
Russian Romance
The Honolulu Symphony featuring guest conductor Tadaaki Otaka and pianist Vladimir FeltsmanIn concert: 8 p.m. Friday and 4 p.m. Sunday
Place: Blaisdell Concert Hall
Tickets: $16, $28, $33, $44, $59
Call: 792-2000, or Ticketmaster at 877-750-4400
A decade of momentous change elapsed before this work was finalized. World War I, the collapse of czarist rule, the assassination of the imperial family and the Bolshevik revolution that led up to Marxist Leninism all took place before Prokofiev wrote the final note.
How much was altered from the original version we'll never know. This gives us two alternatives: We can picture a younger, carefree Prokofiev at the piano showcasing his formidable talent. He mesmerizes the audience with amazing technique, long cadenzas (think Jimi Hendrix guitar solos) and breathless bravura with perpetual motion from beginning to end. Or, we can sense nostalgia and the gravity of postwar times from the music's unsettling, even haunting moments.
Either way, the concerto is a beautiful medium for expression. And who better to perform a Prokofiev piano concerto than Russian-born Vladimir Feltsman? Like Prokofiev 69 years before him, Feltsman also fled his homeland and settled in America. He performed his first concert outside the Soviet Union at the White House and is now recognized as one of the greatest pianists of our time.
HONOLULU SYMPHONY Tadaaki Otaka, of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, will conduct the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra.
RACHMANINOFF IS another formidable pianist and composer. His Second Symphony, although keyboardless (there's no piano in this one), is one of his most popular works. It will be a wonderful platform for our guest artist maestro Tadaaki Otaka, one of Japan's leading conductors, who has spent the past 20 years leading the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, as well as many of Europe's greatest orchestras.
The melodies that you hear in the Second Symphony can be enjoyed as single entities, but thinking of this work as a romantic journey produces a more fulfilling experience.
Rachmaninoff was particularly skillful at creating emotional drama in music. Divided in four movements, or sections, this Second Symphony flourishes with intoxicating melodies. The opening may bring to mind such images as a cold foggy morning, with a couple standing before a Russian Orthodox church, perhaps a reunion after years spent apart, with flashbacks to happier days, some tender, some lively.
Calm at first, the atmosphere becomes charged with longing before intensifying to a painfully passionate climax. We can listen to the ghostly trumpet calls and imagine their inescapable fate. Whirling violins interrupt the dialogue, gradually weaving a tapestry of rich musical texture.
Then, in the second movement, the intrepid French horns sound and the mood brightens. Not to be denied is an oasis of beauty led by the violins. We then hear the cymbals, drums and glockenspiel.
Glockenspiel, you say? Also known as orchestra bells, this percussion instrument with a fun name is like a xylophone, but with metal bars for the notes instead of wooden bars.
The third movement is the most gripping of all. Perhaps our lovers are embracing one last time, desperately holding on. Lush strings reveal a popular, sensual theme that you might recognize from Hollywood movies -- it's been used in several film soundtracks. Infused with nostalgia, this is an achingly beautiful piece, as is all the remaining music. And, as you listen toward the end in the fourth movement, you'll be relieved to know that a happier ending might be in store. The music is boisterous, heroic and colored by substantial use of percussion and brass instruments.
But I won't give away the rest of the story -- there just might be a surprise Hollywood ending.
I hope this romantic journey will add to your acoustical, or listening, pleasure. And remember, your presence is what inspires the orchestra, so I hope to see you all there!
Ignace "Iggy" Jang is the Honolulu Symphony's concertmaster. His column will appear on the Monday prior to each concert of the season.
