Switzerland Brahms, Rachmaninov: Emanuel Ax (piano), Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin / Robin Ticciati (conductor). Tonhalle, Zurich, 24.10.2022. (JR)
Brahms – Piano Concerto No.1, Op.15
Rachmaninov – Symphony No.3, Op.44
There is an abundance of orchestras in Berlin. Of course, towering over all of them is the orchestra I would like hardly point out, the Berlin Philharmonic. The Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin (identified earlier than 1993 because the RIAS-Symphonie Orchester) is one in every of two main radio orchestras in Berlin (the opposite is the Rundfunk Symphonie-Orchester); the Deutsches Symphonie–Orchester’s regular live performance venue is the Philharmonie in Berlin. Under its first principal conductor, Ferenc Fricsay, it made radio historical past; later Lorin Maazel, Riccardo Chailly and Vladimir Ashkenazy had been on the helm of the orchestra. Young British conductor Robin Ticciati has been their Principal Conductor for the final 5 years and the partnership is clearly bearing fruit.
On tour in central Europe, the orchestra introduced a basic programme, a Brahms piano concerto and a Romantic symphony.
Emanuel Ax, now in his seventies, remains to be going robust. He is without doubt one of the few remaining venerable males of the keyboard. His presence is amiable; he comes nonchalantly onto the stage, an outdated hand, and spends more often than not when not taking part in beaming on the woodwind: there isn’t any flamboyance and no histrionics. And his efficiency is rather like that: strait-laced, highly effective when wanted, no sweat. Everything flows naturally, every phrase is delivered with many years of thought and expertise; he watches the conductor after all to maintain in step. Long could he proceed. The viewers lapped him up, the orchestra had been pure accompaniment. Nevertheless, Ticciati made his presence felt, from the turbulent however reasonably gradual opening (first-rate horn taking part in) of the primary motion, sleek introduction to the gradual motion, and a driving vigour within the finale, however they’d clearly rehearsed lengthy and exhausting, and so they blended to perfection. It was, merely, an ideal efficiency of an ideal work.
I want I may say that Rachmaninov’s Third Symphony was an ideal work, however I can not. Following the vitality of the First Symphony, and the very talked-about Second, the Third comes over as fragmentary and fewer than satisfying. However, full marks for bringing this symphony to the live performance stage, it does enhance with re-hearing. Too typically, its romantic (slushy) passages conjure up Hollywood; Ticciati did current a cogent argument for the work’s stronger components, and the joyous ending ensured a really heat reception. The orchestra shone in all departments, the younger Leader displaying significantly beautiful tone.
Ticciati clearly has developed a superb rapport along with his orchestra and I think Berlin can be a stepping-stone in his profession.
This live performance opened the sequence of worldwide concert events in Switzerland sponsored by Migros Kulturprozent Classics. Next up in Zurich are the Concertgebouw underneath Daniel Harding (November fifteenth), the Baltic Sea Philharmonic underneath Kristjan Järvi (December), the Budapest Festival Orchestra with Iván Fischer (January), Les Arts Florissants and William Christie (March) and the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra underneath Kristian Bezuidenhout (May). Further particulars may be discovered right here.
John Rhodes