Rudolfinum
May
4
May
6
“When
you go to hear an orchestra, what you’re
really going to hear is that night’s
conductor.”
The
worldly Canadian conductor Kerry Stratton once passed on that bit of
wisdom to this critic, and nearly every concert proves him right. The
strengths, weaknesses, styles and predilections that each conductor
brings to the podium are cast in particularly high relief in Prague,
a city with five working orchestras and a nonstop parade of local and
visiting maestros. Two recent appearances offered instructive
contrasts from the East.
 |
| Surprisingly lackluster |
On
Friday night, Japanese conductor Kazushi Ono led the Czech
Philharmonic in a program of Dvořák and
Rimsky-Korsakov. It’s a bit of a misnomer
to characterize Ono as Japanese. Though he was born and trained in
Tokyo, much of his work has been in the West, with orchestras and
opera houses in the UK, Germany, Belgium and France, where he is
currently Principal Conductor of the Opéra
de Lyon. He is especially noted for his
work on operas by a wide range of composers – Stravinsky, Strauss,
Shostakovich and Wagner, including a complete “Ring” cycle –
and world premieres of new operas.
Unfortunately,
not much of that expertise was in evidence at his Prague appearance.
The opening piece, Dvořák’s
symphonic poem The Water Sprite,
was notably flat and uninspired. Its dramatic contrasts remained
one-dimensional throughout, never developing any color or flair. And
some of the notes were so labored as to sound almost atonal. The
second selection, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Fairy
Tale, Op. 29,
picked up some dynamics and interesting tones in the strings and
brass, though nowhere near what the piece offers in drama, verve and
flat-out thrills. It was a credible reading, but largely lackluster.
Scheherezade
sounded better in the second half, thanks mostly to some fine work by
first violinist Irena Herajnová
and
harpist Barbara Pazourová.
Rimsky-Korsakov’s
Arabian fantasy is so inherently rich and colorful, and his
instrumentation so fascinating to watch, that it’s hard not
to do a crowd-pleasing performance. This one was ragged around the
edges, more lively and engaging than the first half, but certainly
not the caliber one expects of the Czech Philharmonic.
Since
a number of the orchestra’s front-line players were not performing
on Friday, it’s tempting to say that Ono did the best he could with
the Czech Philharmonic B team. But that didn’t seem to be the
problem. By the end of the evening, the impression Ono gave was of a
man trying to drive a Cadillac who is used to being behind the wheel
of a Buick.
 |
| Impeccable elegance |
On
the same podium two nights later, Russian conductor and violinist
Vladimir Spivakov gave exactly the opposite impression – of a
musician with a strong, distinctive voice that comes through clearly
even when he’s leading a relatively junior ensemble like the Prague
Philharmonia. Currently Music Director and Principal Conductor of the
National Philharmonic of Russia and the Moscow Virtuosi chamber
orchestra, which he co-founded in 1979, Spivakov has also been a
noted violin soloist for nearly 40 years, playing with major
orchestras on stages from Cleveland to Vienna. His many other
distinctions are too numerous to list here, though it’s worth
noting that Spivakov is a celebrated humanitarian off the stage,
working chiefly through an eponymous international charity that he
established in 1994.
The
two Mozart pieces that comprised the first half of Sunday’s concert
– the overture to La clemenza
di Tito,
and the Violin Concerto No. 2
– were stately, measured affairs, very different from the typically
bright, even sprightly interpretations usually heard in Central
Europe. Dusky in tone and more cerebral than one normally expects
from Mozart, both works had a smooth elegance, mirroring Spivakov’s
motions at the podium, which were technically impeccable and
remarkably fluid.
As
for the question of how one conducts a chamber orchestra and plays a
Mozart violin solo at the same time, the answer in Spivakov’s case
is, very well. He almost made it look easy, playing with a sweet,
soulful sound that gave away nothing in intelligence while
maintaining lush accompaniment with occasional turns and gestures to
the orchestra. Even the visual aesthetics were pleasing, with
Spivakov playing in the classic posture, tall and upright with his
shoulders back, right foot slightly forward as he stepped into the
more intricate passages. After he finished, even the musicians behind
him were applauding.
If
there was not much new in Beethoven’s Symphony
No. 7
in the second half, there were nonetheless some impressive elements:
deep internal dynamics on the order of a large symphony orchestra,
lustrous woodwinds, finely articulated strings and a masterful tempo
that only got away in the final movement. There was an unstated bit
of humor in the finale, as Spivakov seemed to be challenging the
players to keep up with the sudden accelerated pace. Not everyone
could, but the overall effect was invigorating.
All
of which was a good warm-up for Prague Spring, which starts on
Saturday with another Russian, Vasily Petrenko, conducting the Czech
Philharmonic in the traditional opening performance of Smetana’s Má
vlast.
Conductors from seven other countries will follow, offering more
lessons in Stratton’s maxim and a world of great music.
For
more on Kazushi Ono:
http://www.icartists.co.uk/artists/kazushi-ono
For
more on Vladimir Spivakov:
www.vladimirspivakov.com
Photos: Ono by Martin Divišek; Spivakov by Valery Plotnikov
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