The Oregon Symphony celebrated Beethoven with inspired performances of his Third Piano Concerto and his Second Symphony at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (February 6) . With Immanuel Ax at the keyboard, the concerto received a superb interpretation that glistened and the symphonic work, with music director David Danzmayr on the podium, was equally impressive. The program also featured a scintilatingly brief piece by South Korean composer Unsuk Chin, who chose to honor Beethoven with her music.
Warm applause greeted Ax when he shuffled his way to center stage. This was Ax’s seventh appearance with the orchestra, and his artistry at the Steinway was as fresh as ever. After the long orchestral introduction, he fashioned elegant lines that were also robust and formed a terrific series of exchanges with the orchestra. Ax created soft sections that elided perfectly with his fellow musicians, and whenever he had to play in the lower register during a big forte section he always managed to cut through the orchestral sound. His trills were immaculate and he provided lots of dynamic contrast, including marvelous cadenzas. The last movement sprang ahead – all jaunty and fun – sparkling into the finale.
Tumultuous, sustained applause and cheering followed the conclusion, and after returning to the stage a couple of times, Ax obliged the audience with a heartfelt performance of Schubert’s “Rosamunde.” That caused another round of boisterous round of acclaim. Ax then took the hand of concertmaster Sarah Kwak, and together they walked to the wings – a gracious signal of conclusion if there ever was one.
After intermission, the orchestra, urged on by the incisive and vigorous conducting of Danzmayr, delivered an outstanding performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major. Punchy, little jabs accented passages in the first movement, and I especially enjoyed how the musicians tapered phrases to that that they had the effect of falling away. The silken sound of the violins in the second movement created the sense of being transported to another realm – a wonderful treatment on a Monday evening for anyone who has had a tough day at work. A highlight of the second movement was a quiet passage that featured the perfectly blended sound of principal clarinetist James Shields and principal bassoonist Carin Miller. Their ability to listen to each other pointed out one of the many strong points of the orchestra, and that quality across the entire ensemble made the Beethoven thrilling from beginning to end. The sudden crescendos in the third movement, the strong horn calls and the dramatic pauses in the fourth add to the uplifting feeling of the performance, which was rewarded with a standing ovation.
Unsuk Chin’s “Subito con forza” at the beginning of the concert was a bit of the teaser. Written in 2020, it contained little snippets of Beethoven here and there. I probably missed most of the quotes, but I did hear a bit of the “Coriolan Overture” and another from “Fidelio.” The piece, which lasted only five minutes, conveyed the energy of Beethoven’s spirit in a restless, almost disjointed way that was very original – kind of like Beethoven. It made me wish that Chin could have extended it another five minutes. Well, Beethoven wrote three versions of the “Lenore Overture.” So maybe Chin could add another version of “Subito con forza.”
There are so many albums of Beethoven’s Third Piano Concerto and Second Symphony available that one doesn’t need another, but I have to say that the Oregon Symphony’s performances on Monday evening were absolutely stellar and worthy of any recording label.
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