All Richard Strauss
Tokyo Metropolitan SymphonyConducted by Seikyo Kim
Tokyo Bunka Kaikan
October 22, 2007
Being a huge Richard Strauss fan, I couldn't miss the opportunity to attend this concert.
The concert began with youthful looking Seikyo Kim taking the podium - he's actually 37 - and leading an excellent performance of Salome's "Dance of the Seven Veils". This chestnut was beautifully performed - with many nuances I'd never heard revealed. It was a very impressive beginning.
This was followed by the rarely heard "Metamorphosen" for 23 solo strings. This, too, was a sensitive performance of a late work. Perhaps it was my mood, but one criticism of Strauss is that he is sometimes "overblown", and upon hearing this work live I felt that cuts could have been made in the score to tighten things up. But it is certainly a peaceful, contemplative work.
The second half of the program was "Don Quixote" featuring cellist Arto Noras. This is a terrific work, which also suffers from a few moments of longueur. My favorite moments include the sheep - which was very twentieth century sounding in this performance, it must have really shocked people 110 years ago - and the appearance of one of my favorite percussion instruments: the wind machine. Altogether, if I had been Strauss, I'd have made a few cuts in this piece, too. One hears the theme a few too many times. How arrogant to suggest changes to what is considered a masterwork - but that's the beauty of a blog which nobody reads.
But, I did enjoy the evening - particularly hearing the work of a conductor new to me who I think bears hearing more.
On the other hand I did not appreciate the inevitable nearby audience member with the crinkly celophane candy wrappers.
posted by Larry Wells @ 6:31 PM
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