Wait a minute, ’Meister! That can’t have been free or low cost—and Mozart’s not even your favorite! Hold your horses, folks. Every once in a while I splurge, and this was one of those times. For my birthday, I took myself to hear Joshua Bell.
Adagio and Fugue in C minor, K.546 (1788) – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791)
Violin Concerto in E major, BWV 1042 (before 1730) – Allegro; Adagio; Allegro assai – Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Chaconne, from Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004 (1720) – Bach
(arr. 1847, Felix Mendelssohn; arr. 2013, Julian Milone)
Symphony No. 2 in C major (1845–46) – Sostenuto assai—Allegro, ma non troppo; Scherzo: Allegro vivace; Adagio espressivo; Allegro molto vivace –
Robert Schumann (1810–1856)
So, not only was it not mostly Mozart, the Mozart piece on the program even gave a nod to Bach. The fugue part was written, as a Bachian fugue, in 1783 for two pianos. The adagio was added in 1788 with the original fugue arranged for string quartet or orchestra—the string orchestra version was heard Wednesday night. The piece was dramatic and mysterious, with the fugue full of drama all the way through to the final chord.
The Bach concerto was scored for a smaller group of strings plus harpsichord. The first movement was bright and energetic, while my note for the second movement is simply, plaintive. In keeping it simple, the third movement was ebullient. Throughout the piece I was really intrigued with the incredibly smooth character of Mr. Bell’s playing. The fireworks were there, but in a smooth, concentrated way.
Okay, now on to the Chaconne. Originally written for solo violin, Mendelssohn added a piano part, to discreetly flesh out some of the harmonies. (Mendelssohn was quite a force in the resurgence of Bach’s music.) Milone created the orchestral version of that piano version. [Note: I usually don’t read reviews of concerts that I’m going to write about; however, I did read the New York Times review of Tuesday night’s performance. And I just have to steal this snippet about why
Mr. Bell used the orchestral version of Mendelssohn’s piano version instead of playing Bach’s solo version: Before beginning the piece, Mr. Bell said that for “those of you who think Bach would turn in his grave” to hear these “strange harmonies” added to his Chaconne, “the good news is that we’re playing it again tomorrow.” So, he added, “Bach will turn back over.”] The piece is multiple variations of variations, including a couple of false endings, that were all masterfully played.
A shout out here to another Bach connection with this concert. As fate would have it, my relatives Mr. and Mrs. Himelsbach (get it? Himelsbach?), were celebrating their wedding anniversary by attending this concert on the exact same night I attended, celebrating my birthday! We were able to chat before the concert, during intermission, and even on the cross-town bus back to the East Side, afterwards.
After intermission, the strings were bulked up with woodwinds and brass for the Schumann symphony. I liked the opening movement, and it was interesting to hear it followed by the bright scherzo. The adagio was highly effective in creating a slightly brooding quality, reinforced by exposed horn writing. The final movement was strong and finished off with a bang. Andrew Manze conducted the Mozart and the Schumann, while Mr. Bell was the leader for the Bach pieces.
All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable concert, performed magnificently. It’s the first time I’ve heard Mr. Bell live, in concert, and it was the perfect celebration for my birthday and Pat and Jim’s anniversary. Spending time with them was the icing on the cake though, alas, no cake was involved.
ConcertMeister
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