ECCO (East Coast Chamber Orchestra) – ShaiWosner, piano
W.A. Mozart (1756–91) – Piano Concerto No.14 in E-flat
major, K449 (1784) – (i) Allegro vivace, (ii) Andantino, (iii) Allegro ma non troppo
Hanna Benn (1988–) – Where
Springs Not Fail (2016)
Osvaldo Golijov (1960–) – Last
Round (1996) –
W.A. Mozart (1756–91) – Piano
Concerto No.12 in A major, K.414 (1782) – (i) Allegro,
(ii) Andante (iii) Rondeau. Allegretto
The first movement of the Mozart had a
nice heft at the opening, for a chamber orchestra (six violins, three violas,
three cellos, and one double bass), though there was also a gentle feel. After
the strings in the opening, we had solo piano (this will be a recurring scene),
followed by back and forth string accompaniment. There was a touch of drama
before a solo piano cadenza, leading to a bright ending. The second movement was
slower and gentle (strings, then piano joining), pretty without being cloying,
though a bit long. Of course, the moment I wrote that in my notes, the movement
came to an end. The third movement was brighter (strings, then piano). It had a
real chamber music feel before a perky section that led to a fun finish.
Ms. Benn’s work, inspired by a Gerard
Manley Hopkins poem, had a very calm opening, with a sort of shimmery feel. It
was modern without being harsh, with a nice contemplative feel. Though it
wandered a bit, it felt to me like brief episodes that were linked together.
Last Round was based on a short story,
and it was the composer’s reactions to the illness and death of the great
Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla. With a definite tango feel, it was
energetic while being modern but accessible. At one point, the tempo increased
to almost frenetic but was then dialed back down. Still, it couldn’t stay
serene for too long. Then there was an extended slow section, sounding
mournful, that eventually faded away to nothing.
The first movement of the second Mozart
piano concerto had a lilting opening for the strings before getting a little
fuller; then, as usual, the piano joined the party. This was the more tinkly
Mozart style than the previous concerto, though there was some solidity in the
strings from time to time. There was also a more extensive piano solo/cadenza
toward the end of the movement than in the previous concerto. The second
movement had a lovely opening from the strings followed by a sedate solo piano
entry [this was probably my favorite movement of the six Mozart movements]. The
final movement was jaunty, with a return to tinkly, in a pretty way, followed by
a few dark hints of drama.
Here’s a brief note about the cadenzas I
mentioned. I certainly didn’t have a score in front of me, but my understanding
is that Mozart wrote a piano solo at the end of the movement that allowed some
flexibility for the soloist to improvise and add to (in an appropriate manner)
before returning to an obvious aural cue for the orchestra to rejoin, in order
to finish the movement. How much improvising Mr. Wosner did, I do not know. But
his returns with the orchestra were seamless and easy to understand.
Full disclosure: I am not a huge Mozart
fan. I enjoyed this concert more than I thought I would, possibly because it
was a lighter chamber orchestra feel. I sometimes feel bashed over the head with
Mozart played by huge ensembles. Some of the evening’s tinkly stuff grated
slightly, but not nearly as much as I expected.
There was a solo piano encore (not
announced) which sounded slightly Slavic to me. Maybe a Tchaikovsky piano morsel?
It would have been nice to know.
ConcertMeister
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