b***@phillynews.com
2005-10-09 03:23:39 UTC
I'm now officially a BIG Yuri Temirkanov fan. The only previous time I
had seen him live was perhaps five years ago at the Academy of Music.
He led a performance of the Shostakovich seventh that I still count
among the handfull of best performances I've ever been present for.
I can add another Temirkanov-led performance to that short list after
seeing him conduct just an awesome Brahms second symphony. This is up
there with a fourth that I saw Sawallisch conduct at the Academy as the
two best live Brahms symphony performances I've witnessed. He made the
opening movement sound fresher than I've heard in ages. David Stearns
mentioned in his review of Thursday's performance that Temirkanov
brought out the fugue-like aspects of the music and I could definately
hear that during the opening movement.
I like a real rip-roaring finale and generally walk out of a live
performance thinking I didn't get it. But that wasn't the case tonight.
Temirkanov really had the strings blazing away.
I'm hoping that since he's giving up his Baltimore job, he'll return to
making frequent guest appearances in Philly. This was his first time
here since that Shostakovich concert at the Academy.
Helene Grimaud opened the concert with Rachmaninoff's second concerto.
I thought she played the opening movement to slow, at times losing the
melodic line. But I enjoyed the last two movements very much.
Was anyone else at tonight's concert? I don't listen to a lot of solo
piano music. I'd like to know what Grimaud's encore was. Thought it
might be a prelude, and possibly Rachmaninoff, but I'm not sure.
Barry
had seen him live was perhaps five years ago at the Academy of Music.
He led a performance of the Shostakovich seventh that I still count
among the handfull of best performances I've ever been present for.
I can add another Temirkanov-led performance to that short list after
seeing him conduct just an awesome Brahms second symphony. This is up
there with a fourth that I saw Sawallisch conduct at the Academy as the
two best live Brahms symphony performances I've witnessed. He made the
opening movement sound fresher than I've heard in ages. David Stearns
mentioned in his review of Thursday's performance that Temirkanov
brought out the fugue-like aspects of the music and I could definately
hear that during the opening movement.
I like a real rip-roaring finale and generally walk out of a live
performance thinking I didn't get it. But that wasn't the case tonight.
Temirkanov really had the strings blazing away.
I'm hoping that since he's giving up his Baltimore job, he'll return to
making frequent guest appearances in Philly. This was his first time
here since that Shostakovich concert at the Academy.
Helene Grimaud opened the concert with Rachmaninoff's second concerto.
I thought she played the opening movement to slow, at times losing the
melodic line. But I enjoyed the last two movements very much.
Was anyone else at tonight's concert? I don't listen to a lot of solo
piano music. I'd like to know what Grimaud's encore was. Thought it
might be a prelude, and possibly Rachmaninoff, but I'm not sure.
Barry