United States Debussy, Caroline Shaw, Florence Price: Roomful of Teeth (vocal ensemble), New York Philharmonic, Jaap van Zweden (conductor), David Geffen Hall, New York City, 23.10.2022. (SRT)
Debussy – Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
Caroline Shaw – Microfictions (US premiere)
Florence Price – Symphony No.4 in D minor
Well, it’s official. After sixty years of false begins, annoyed hopes and architectural missteps, the New York Philharmonic lastly has a everlasting dwelling in Manhattan that’s worthy of them. This isn’t the place to retell the story of the ups and downs of their Lincoln Center dwelling: simply let me minimize an extended story quick by saying that the rebuild of their David Geffen Hall is a triumph.
The keynote of the brand new corridor is readability. You can hear every little thing within the sound, with a presence and focus that’s the hallmark of many new halls, however which right here sounds notably centered. Listening to Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune on this setting made it sound like a unique piece of music. Played with conscientious magnificence by the NY Phil, Debussy’s rating remained mushy however by no means languid. The winds and horns glowed gently, however the shimmer on the strings felt so current it was as in the event you may hear each individually articulated observe, not simply the diaphanous curtain of sound that it usually appears. You can determine for your self whether or not that forensic precision fits a bit just like the Prélude, however there was no query that it suited their encore, considered one of Dvořák’s Slavonic Dances that sounded so recent and clear that each crash, twinkle and swoosh was as vibrant as a button.
It says one thing concerning the NY Phil that they haven’t chosen to open the David Geffen with European repertoire staples, although a Beethoven Nine is coming quickly. Instead, the main focus of their opening live shows has been on American composers, principally newly written music that the orchestra has commissioned. Caroline Shaw’s Microfictions, for instance, is a part of a challenge to commemorate the centenary of ladies gaining the appropriate to vote within the USA. Shaw’s music, written for the orchestra and the eight singers of her personal sharply named group Roomful of Teeth, was impressed by a sequence of miniature tales put out on Twitter throughout the pandemic, therefore the title. It is a collection of 5 items, every of which is a miniature tone poem, and so they work very nicely as a set starting from the mild opening to the pounding vitality of the conclusion. Shaw’s music for the orchestra is tonal, persuasive and really efficient, whereas her writing for the vocal ensemble ranges from consonant sweetness to unmusical vocalisations. Either means, the pairing works very nicely, and sounded nice on this area, although it’s onerous to understand how far the corridor flatters it with its state-of-the-art amplification system for the voices.
Thanks primarily to the great places of work (and recording contract) of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the music of Florence Price is a lot better identified now than it was even simply a few years again. I’ve by no means fairly been on board with the approval given to her Symphony No.3, however I discovered this efficiency of Symphony No.4 immediately interesting. There is a beautiful sunniness to the sound, with an virtually cinematic sweep to the primary motion’s predominant theme that has a John Williams-ish pleasure in a easy tune and directness of strategy. The symphony’s gradual motion mirrors the contours of the Largo from Dvořák’s New World so exactly that it looks like a homage and, as within the Third Symphony, Price features a foot-tapping Juba dance because the third motion. Music Director Jaap van Zweden paid the piece the praise of taking it severely, and the intense sheen of the sound gave it a sure sense of movie-star glamour that helped the sound enormously.
By the tip of the night, nonetheless, I used to be starting to surprise if the brand new auditorium may make nearly something sound good. Make no mistake: the corridor is the star right here. The orchestra and its workforce appear lastly to have cured the jinx by constructing a corridor that feels relaxed and sounds nice, with readability and precision throughout each frequency. New Yorkers must be fairly happy with what they have on their arms.
Simon Thompson