David Danzmayr led the Oregon Symphony in a super-fast performance of Handel’s “Messiah” on Saturday evening (December 4) at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. This daring decision by the orchestra’s new music director gave the sense of rushing ahead, but at the cost of leaving much of the music’s emotion in the dust. If only someone had walked on stage and issued a speeding ticket.
The orchestra performed it all immaculately, with the strings excelling in creating clean lines with no vibrato, much like you would hear from a baroque ensemble. Jeffrey Work’s accompanying “The trumpet shall sound” was a highlight of the evening, and the addition of the theorbo, as part of the continuo team (with Garrett Bond switching between the harpsichord and portative organ), came across very strongly, albeit a little too strongly at times.
The Portland State Chamber Choir was well prepared by Ethan Sperry, but it could not articulate the numerous runs without resorting to da-ga-da-ga-da-ga iterations because of the fast tempos. That became really annoying. Transitions from the soloists to the choir went well except for the disjointed exchange from Jonathan Woody’s singing of “Why do the nations so furiously rage together” to the chorus’ “Let us break their bonds asunder.” It was also impossible for the chorus to create explosive fortes, for example in the last lines of “Lift up your heads” and “Since by man came death.”
Tenor Miles Mykkanen stood out for his clarion voice, diction, and dynamic ability to reach into the furthest corners of the hall. Soprano Yulia Van Doren sang gorgeously – with some very creative ornamentation – but she left off the ending consonants of her words. Mezzo-Soprano Gina Perregrino had much success with the upper range of her arias but lacked power in the lower portion. Bass-Baritone Jonathan Woody delivered his arias forcefully but could not be heard as well in the deepest passages.
It is terrific that Danzmayr is trying out new ideas, especially in finding out what works and what doesn’t work with the new sound system. And I have nothing against setting a quick pace through a famous oratorio that can become weighty and sag, but a slightly slower tempo would have gone a long way in making this “Messiah” more enjoyable.
Showing posts with label David Danzmayr. Show all posts
Showing posts with label David Danzmayr. Show all posts
Thursday, December 9, 2021
Sunday, November 14, 2021
Danzmayr rescues Oregon Symphony program and Bronfman stars in Rachmaninoff concerto
Oregon Symphony’s new maestro, David Danzmayr, saved the day in last weekend’s series of concerts. The scheduled conductor, Jun Märkl, experienced visa problems and could not make it to this side of the pond. Danzmayr, who happened to be in town, stepped up and showed a lot of savvy on the podium at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on November 6, teaming up with Yefim Bronfman to dazzle the audience with Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 3. Danzmayr and the orchestra topped that with finely honed interpretations of works by Modest Mussorgsky, Anna Clyne, and Richard Strauss
Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto is considered one of the most difficult in the repertoire with very few pauses for the soloist. Bronfman started the piece quietly and shaped each phrase with care, which invited the listeners into the fantastic soundworld of the composer. His articulation, even while racing up and down the keyboard, was amazing. He demonstrated terrific control, especially exposed in the cadenzas, where he could accelerate into bravura, splashier passages and then shift effortlessly into slow and gentle ones that were as delicate as a daisy.
The orchestra supported Bronfman’s playing deftly. The brief, muted horns in the first movement were just perfect. Kudos to all of the musicians for making the concerto a hit. The patrons in the hall cheered with gusto after the grand finale, calling Bronfman back to the stage several times. He calmed things down by offering a tender Chopin nocturne as an encore. That was wonderful.
The program opened with the Introduction (“Dawn on the Moskva River”) to Mussorgsky’s opera “Khovantchina.” Evoking the tranquility of a morning along the water’s edge, the orchestra created hushed and lovely hues that included bell-like chords from the horns and a touching sense of longing from the flute and clarinet solos.
Anna Clyne’s “This Midnight Hour” opened with a furious, rhythmic rush from the lower strings that seesawed to the brass and back to the lower strings – setting the stage for more sonic turbulence that spread into every section of the orchestra, developing into a chaotic swirl. From this point, a melodic line emerged, and gradually a sense of relaxed order settled in – with two trumpets, stationed in the choir loft behind the orchestra, playing repetitive descending lines that differed slightly. Everything quieted down to a pianissimo until a very loud strike from the timpani marked the end of the piece.
Clyne’s piece seemed to suggest the state of someone who was dealing with a mental episode. In any case, it was an appropriate segue to Strauss’ “Til Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks,” which received a splendid performance from the orchestra. Principal French horn, Jeff Garza led the way in creating the jocular tune of the legendary prankster. The musicians expertly conveyed his shenanigans all the way to the gallows.
It was terrific to see Danzmayr rescue the program with top-notch conducting. The orchestra is in good hands.
Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto is considered one of the most difficult in the repertoire with very few pauses for the soloist. Bronfman started the piece quietly and shaped each phrase with care, which invited the listeners into the fantastic soundworld of the composer. His articulation, even while racing up and down the keyboard, was amazing. He demonstrated terrific control, especially exposed in the cadenzas, where he could accelerate into bravura, splashier passages and then shift effortlessly into slow and gentle ones that were as delicate as a daisy.
The orchestra supported Bronfman’s playing deftly. The brief, muted horns in the first movement were just perfect. Kudos to all of the musicians for making the concerto a hit. The patrons in the hall cheered with gusto after the grand finale, calling Bronfman back to the stage several times. He calmed things down by offering a tender Chopin nocturne as an encore. That was wonderful.
The program opened with the Introduction (“Dawn on the Moskva River”) to Mussorgsky’s opera “Khovantchina.” Evoking the tranquility of a morning along the water’s edge, the orchestra created hushed and lovely hues that included bell-like chords from the horns and a touching sense of longing from the flute and clarinet solos.
Anna Clyne’s “This Midnight Hour” opened with a furious, rhythmic rush from the lower strings that seesawed to the brass and back to the lower strings – setting the stage for more sonic turbulence that spread into every section of the orchestra, developing into a chaotic swirl. From this point, a melodic line emerged, and gradually a sense of relaxed order settled in – with two trumpets, stationed in the choir loft behind the orchestra, playing repetitive descending lines that differed slightly. Everything quieted down to a pianissimo until a very loud strike from the timpani marked the end of the piece.
Clyne’s piece seemed to suggest the state of someone who was dealing with a mental episode. In any case, it was an appropriate segue to Strauss’ “Til Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks,” which received a splendid performance from the orchestra. Principal French horn, Jeff Garza led the way in creating the jocular tune of the legendary prankster. The musicians expertly conveyed his shenanigans all the way to the gallows.
It was terrific to see Danzmayr rescue the program with top-notch conducting. The orchestra is in good hands.
Saturday, November 6, 2021
HK Guber's eccentric Frankenstein!! highlights Oregon Symphony concert
It was a mixed bag sort of evening at the Oregon Symphony’s concert on October 30 at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. The program, led by the orchestra’s new music director, David Danzmayr, offered a musical sampler of German and Austrian nougats that ranged from the high Baroque to contemporary music. But no piece topped the uniqueness of HK Gruber’s “Frankenstein!!” with the composer himself as soloist.
Laced with sardonic humor that bordered at times on the macabre, “Frankenstein!!,” (subtitled “A Pan-demonium for Baritone Chansonnier and Ensemble after Children’s Rhymes”) used text by Hans Carl Artmann to warn against monsters, vampires, werewolves, and the like. That fell in the tradition of “Max and Moritz” and Grimm’s “Fairy Tales.” Gruber’s Sprechstimme – from falsetto highs to basement-basso lows – terrifically conveyed the teasing, cheeky text that caused some chuckles from the audience. He skillfully commanded an array of toy instruments that included a slide whistle and a tiny bugle.
The orchestra supported Gruber with glee from the get-go with timpanist Jonathan Greeney blowing up, popping, and tossing paper bags into the horn section. The musicians doubled the fun with melodicas and colorful whirligigs. At one point they stood up – with the strings using their bows to make the sign of the cross – and sang a ditty about stopping an attack by a baby vampire. Overall, “Frankenstein!!” created some mirth in a nod to Halloween, but, as the program notes mentioned, it may have some subtext that questions who the real monsters are.
Another highlight of the evening should have been Bach’s Concerto in C minor for Oboe, Violin and String Orchestra, but it was difficult to hear the soloists, Martin Hébert and Sarah Kwak. It seemed that the new Constellation Sound System was turned off or that the accompanying string section was just too large. Hébert’s elegant and rich tone and Kwak’s silky lines came through best during the pianissimo sections, and it was impossible to hear the harpsichord except for the very last chord at the end of a phrase. One of the coolest moments in the piece came when Hébert reached over to Kwak’s music stand to turn a page of her score while he was holding at note. I’ve never seen that before!
Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 (“Surprise”) received a superb performance by the orchestra, replete with dynamic contrasts that made each passage in the piece intriguing and delicious to hear. The beautiful duet in the third movement was outstandingly played by flutist Martha Long and oboist Karen Wagner. Danzmayr’s dazzling conducting contributed to the stellar effort by his colleagues. Dipping, stretching, crouching – you name it - every gesture was distinct and perfect for the each phrase and never repeated. Amazing!
The concert concluded with an impressive rendition of Johann Strauss Jr’s “Kaiser Walzer” (“Emperor Waltzes”). Again, the orchestra excelled with dynamics, delivering dramatically bold statements and delicate diminuendos among many other nuances that sent the audience out the door with a smile.
Laced with sardonic humor that bordered at times on the macabre, “Frankenstein!!,” (subtitled “A Pan-demonium for Baritone Chansonnier and Ensemble after Children’s Rhymes”) used text by Hans Carl Artmann to warn against monsters, vampires, werewolves, and the like. That fell in the tradition of “Max and Moritz” and Grimm’s “Fairy Tales.” Gruber’s Sprechstimme – from falsetto highs to basement-basso lows – terrifically conveyed the teasing, cheeky text that caused some chuckles from the audience. He skillfully commanded an array of toy instruments that included a slide whistle and a tiny bugle.
The orchestra supported Gruber with glee from the get-go with timpanist Jonathan Greeney blowing up, popping, and tossing paper bags into the horn section. The musicians doubled the fun with melodicas and colorful whirligigs. At one point they stood up – with the strings using their bows to make the sign of the cross – and sang a ditty about stopping an attack by a baby vampire. Overall, “Frankenstein!!” created some mirth in a nod to Halloween, but, as the program notes mentioned, it may have some subtext that questions who the real monsters are.
Another highlight of the evening should have been Bach’s Concerto in C minor for Oboe, Violin and String Orchestra, but it was difficult to hear the soloists, Martin Hébert and Sarah Kwak. It seemed that the new Constellation Sound System was turned off or that the accompanying string section was just too large. Hébert’s elegant and rich tone and Kwak’s silky lines came through best during the pianissimo sections, and it was impossible to hear the harpsichord except for the very last chord at the end of a phrase. One of the coolest moments in the piece came when Hébert reached over to Kwak’s music stand to turn a page of her score while he was holding at note. I’ve never seen that before!
Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 (“Surprise”) received a superb performance by the orchestra, replete with dynamic contrasts that made each passage in the piece intriguing and delicious to hear. The beautiful duet in the third movement was outstandingly played by flutist Martha Long and oboist Karen Wagner. Danzmayr’s dazzling conducting contributed to the stellar effort by his colleagues. Dipping, stretching, crouching – you name it - every gesture was distinct and perfect for the each phrase and never repeated. Amazing!
The concert concluded with an impressive rendition of Johann Strauss Jr’s “Kaiser Walzer” (“Emperor Waltzes”). Again, the orchestra excelled with dynamics, delivering dramatically bold statements and delicate diminuendos among many other nuances that sent the audience out the door with a smile.
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