This was a big moment for me, never having set foot (or ears) inside one of the finest halls in the world. A place where no less than Brahms, Bruckner, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Strauss and so many others worked and attended concerts...
What a sound that hall makes. When I entered the main hall (after first picking my jaw up from the sheer beauty of the golden light and the wonderful detail), I thought how, small, quaint and intimate it was. It has to be one of the smallest major concert halls in the world - regardless of how many people they stuff into it, which they do, tight...
The American hall most compared to the Musikverein is Symphony Hall, in Boston, because they both are in the traditional "shoebox" design. Symphony Hall is at least a third wider on the floor, a third higher and deeper too. Both are great, great halls. Boston seats 2600 and Vienna only 1750.
The Musikverein's sound has the same warm character as Boston, but much, much, more intimate. Amazing softs. Also, it seem to favor the strings - in a good way.
The concert featured the Gewandhaus Orchestra of Leipzig, with its music director, Ricardo Chailly. It is the oldest city orchestra in the world, formed in 1781. It's list of former music directors include Mendelssohn! Chailly is there now and I have always liked him. He has been the director at The Deutsche Symphony Orchestra, Berlin (one of the best groups nobody knows about) and the Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam. So, 'nuff said. The guy is good. I heard him in a great concert in Houston with the Concertgebouw. It was a concert of the Debussy Prelude, Ravel 2nd Daphnis Suite and the Rite of Spring.
The great thing about both concerts was his dynamic control. The orchestra was constantly adjusting its levels to allow this or that section to shine. That doesn't sound like anything special in itself, but I have never heard another conductor take it to such a degree as Chailly.
For horn players, the Konzertstück was ok.... I think i am still spoiled by the great concert I saw with the Berlin Phil horns on their Digital Concert Hall. The Leipzig guys played like they were really good players, trying very hard, and playing musically. The Berlin guys, and gal... owned it. They played with panache and cockyness, like Italian Grand Prix drivers.... pedal to the metal, what's behind me doesn't matter.... All that being said, I still enjoyed it, and rooted for them.
The concerts maine selection was the Schumann 3rd Symphony, the "Rheinische". It is a great piece, beautiful, lyrical and exciting. Chailly chose to play the version that featured the orchestral rewriting by Gustav Mahler. I didn't notice a lot of changes, but the one I did notice, I didn't like - One of my favorite moments in the work is the big unison horn call in the 1st movement. Mahler rewrote the first 4 measures of it to be played "stopped", then open for the rest. I guess he wanted a distinct color and dynamic contrast. I didn't like it. Stopped horn in Schumann is like a muted trumpet in Bach... out of place. I could have done without it.
It was a wonderful night to be introduced to a great hall. I have tickets for more concerts later in the season. One in particular I am looking forward to: Vienna Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Mahler 9th. Oh yeah, baby....
Thanks for stopping by.
No comments:
Post a Comment