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Switzerland Schubert, Berwald: Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich / Herbert Blomstedt (conductor). Tonhalle, Zurich, 7.12.2022. (VL)
Schubert – Symphony No. 4 in C minor, D. 417, Tragische
Berwald – Symphony No. 2 in D main, Capricieuse
Last Wednesday, I visited the Tonhalle Zurich for numerous causes. On the one hand, there was the particular programme: the orchestra had two symphonies in retailer for us. And then again, in fact, there was the star visitor Herbert Blomstedt, who on the age of 95 nonetheless is aware of learn how to entice audiences to the halls through which he offers visitor performances. Blomstedt has a everlasting place within the Tonhalle Orchestra’s season programme and cultivates a particular bond with the musicians, which was clearly noticeable as quickly as he stepped on stage with them. Every live performance creates a person, particular ambiance. Consequently, it was hardly shocking that the live performance corridor was full, excited voices filling the corridor earlier than the live performance.
Franz Schubert is without doubt one of the most influential composers of the early Romantic interval, and though he died on the age of 31, he left us an unlimited oeuvre, together with greater than 600 secular vocal works (primarily Lieder). Musicologists agree that it was he who created the style “Kunstlied” – one of many the reason why he stands out from his predecessors of the Viennese classical interval, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. The particular factor about Schubert’s Lieder is that he composed very poetically. It is just not a musical concept that’s the tenet, however the linguistic principle. When considering of Schubert, symphonies won’t essentially be the very first thing that involves folks’s minds. But he composed such symphonies too, and the primary six even throughout his youth. Schubert most likely (additionally) composed the 4th Symphony for Hatwig’s Orchestra, through which he performed the viola. It was exactly this orchestra that organised sort of home concert events, which have been usually not open to the general public.
Right initially of the primary motion of the symphony, the Tonhalle Orchestra’s string part demonstrated their abilities by enjoying an ideal introduction. After these 29 bars, the principle theme in C minor is launched, which quickly offers strategy to the secondary theme in A-flat main, integrating a minor-key counter-theme, which is heard twice and repeats itself in alternating methods. The motion ends within the Coda with a radiant C main conclusion.
For the second motion, the Andante, Schubert might have drawn his inspiration from Beethoven. Here, as within the first motion, he deviates from the standard key scheme and repeatedly chooses A flat main as the key counterpart. Beethoven did the identical in his Symphony No. 5 and Pathétique. The Andante can be launched by a string motion in a mild pianissimo. This motif is adopted by an exquisite solo oboe, performed by Simon Fuchs, after which by the flutes and clarinets.
Schubert provides tragedy to the Menuetto with a theme consisting of a chromatically descending scale. In the third motion, too, strings and winds alternate with repeating motifs. A really highly effective string motif is adopted by a transparent flute half. Sabine Poyé Morel as solo flutist deserves particular point out right here. For me, the spotlight was the ultimate motion, the Allegro, to which Schubert added a playful bassoon determine. The Finale ends in C main with trumpets and quadruple horns.
After the break, the Tonhalle Orchestra got here again with a playful symphony by Franz Berwald, a lesser-known Swedish composer. But it’s clearly an injustice if this work is just not given the respect it deserves. Berwald’s symphonies have been solely printed posthumously, and conductor Herbert Blomstedt has performed a significant position of their rediscovery and rising reputation. The Symphony capricieuse is taken into account misplaced – what we heard was a reconstruction by Ernst Ellberg primarily based on a progress sketch of the work.
The first motion begins with an introduction of the principle motif by the strings. The first and second themes each start with a sweeping upbeat. Berwald performs with contrasts just like these beforehand utilized by Schubert in his Fourth Symphony. In the second motion, which follows a flowing, calm motif, I used to be significantly struck by Blomstedt’s conducting and the way he actually handed on impulses to the musicians. The entire of the second motion is a relaxed and candy distinction to the primary and final actions.
The third motion begins like an unsteady murmur, totally different heterogeneous voices coming collectively to type a homogeneous entire, like a swarm of bees excitedly buzzing round. In the third motion, we hear a full of life alternation between strings and wind devices. The complete Finale is thus very turbulent and interesting.
The most lovely factor that night was the gesture of the conductor and the strings after the final be aware had sounded, wonderful artists nicely conscious that they had simply given two great performances.
As ordinary the Tonhalle Orchestra Zurich outdid itself, and beneath the path of Herbert Blomstedt the viewers witnessed a symbiosis of two nice pillars of classical music. I look ahead to their subsequent live performance and hope to listen to Maestro Blomstedt once more quickly.
Valérie Litz
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