On Saturday evening, conductor Lahav Shani
conducted the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in, for me, one of the most
satisfying concerts to come from this ensemble this season.
The concert opened with Johannes Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor, Op. 15
with pianist Kirill Gerstein. Right from the outset, Shani weaved an incredibly
rich as well as beautiful orchestral tapestry in this highly symphonic work.
Throughout this complex concerto, collaboration between soloist and conductor
was impeccable. I especially appreciated how Shani handled the many tricky
tempo transitions, most notably the one leading to the F major second theme (“Poco
piu moderato”). Under the very expressive hands of this hugely talented
conductor, the strings exuded a palpable warmth as well as richness in their
sound. Throughout the performance of this large work, there was a sense of
totality, an organic wholeness, especially remarkable in such a young
conductor.
I had a little bit of trouble with the sound of
the piano under Gerstein’s hands. In the opening chords, there was a lack of a
sense of weight – it is not a matter of loudness, but the sense of richness -
so evident in the orchestra - was found wanting in the piano part. In the
famous octave trills, there was a lack of a sense of desperation. One remembers
the words of Arthur Rubinstein: that these are not just trills, but a cry for
help. Even in the tranquil F major second theme, Gerstein’s sound did not match
the warmth of the sound of the orchestra.
Things improved markedly in subsequent
movements. In the opening of the second movement, Shani evoked an incredible
sense of repose, of tranquility, from the orchestra. Throughout the movement, Gerstein
played with all the gravity as well as sensitivity that the music calls for.
The pianist also played with a kind of chamber music like integration with the
sound of the orchestra. At the end of the final extended solo for the piano,
there was a beautifully seamless dovetailing with the entrance of the orchestra
(m. 96). In the more unbuttoned third movement, the artists once again matched
each other in sound as well as affect. The overall performance of this movement
was as exciting as it could be, as well as highly satisfying.
Before the intermission, the two musicians presented
the audience with a surprising encore. In preparation for the second half of
the concert, the two artists collaborated in a performance, on the piano, of
Rossini’s famous overture to The Barber
of Seville, a work that Arnold Schoenberg arranged at the time that he was
composing Pelléas und Melisande, Op.
5. Shani showed himself to be an absolutely natural pianist, matching Gerstein
in sound as well as virtuosity in this delightful surprise – a perfect sorbet
between two musical courses.
It takes a brave conductor, especially a guest
conductor, to present Arnold Schoenberg’s Pelléas
und Melisande. It it a complex work for conductor, orchestra as well as
audience – hardly a crowd-pleaser on first hearing. Shani’s conducting of this
40-plus minute work was mesmerizing, inspiring every member of the orchestra to
rise to the technical as well as musical demands of the score.
The beginning of this tone poem is one of great
harmonic uncertainty, extreme chromaticism, and one where the composer exploits
the middle to lower registers of the orchestra. The English horn is figured
prominently here, as it is throughout the score – bravo to Beth Orson for beautifully
sensitive, assured playing throughout. It is almost as if the music is rising
from the depths until the appearance of the oboe solo at m.8. Shani skillfully
handled the tricky transition (“Heftig”) to the F major theme at rehearsal
number 5, played by the English horn, the first violins and part of the cello
section.
At rehearsal number 16 (“Sehr rasch”), the
orchestra played this brief but incredibly difficult section with a virtuosity
and assurance that is astounding. I thought that Shani achieved a truly magical
pianissimo at rehearsal number 25 (“Sehr langsam”), and evoked beautiful
playing by the flutes, oboes and clarinets. As well, the difficult trombone
glissandi – heard for the first time in musical literature – were extremely
well played.
Those were only some of the highlights I
remember from last evening’s performance. Throughout the performance this
neglected early Schoenberg masterpiece, the young conductor was in complete
control of every element of this dense, complex work, and served as a guide to
lead us through the orchestral maze. As in the Brahms, there was an absolute
sense of totality, of wholeness, in Shani’s reading. During the performance, it
was as if the conductor was lost in the music, but yet clearly seeing the way
before him. As well, he conducted with an interpretative maturity that belied
his young age.
I can recall that the last time I was so bowed
over by a young conductor was when a very young Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducted
Gounod’s Faust for Vancouver Opera.
And so, remember the name Lahav Shani, because we would be hearing much more of
him in the future.
This was a performance I would remember for a long
time to come.
