Shostakovich Cycle - Part 1
The OrchestraThe Saint Petersburg Academic Symphony Orchestra is one of St. Petersburg's two major symphony orchestras. According to what I've read, it was founded in 1931 and has been active ever since, especially at the forefront of championing new works. Their wind section is very strong, and the percussionists are outstanding - particularly an amazing tympanists. The strings are likewise memorable - warm and lush, but there's something about the horn section that makes them sound less full than one would expect. In any event, they know their stuff, and I think they could play all the Shostakovich symphonies blindfolded, certainly without a conductor.
The Conductor
Michiyoshi Inoue, whom I have seen many times over the years, is to be praised for continuing to bring forward interesting repertoire and for arranging performances of cycles of the works of individual composers. This is the third such cycle I've attended - the complete Sibelius and Mahler symphonies were led by him a few years back. He has, unfortunately, several quirks which I find very annoying. First, he feels it necessary to chat with the audience between pieces, and what he has to say is usually unscripted and relatively uninteresting. So why bother? Secondly, he feels it necessary to recognize individual players at the end of each piece - which I suppose is a nice ego boost for someone who is usually only part of the machine, but I think it's a rather foolish affectation which I hope will not catch on. The Japanese ovations are always overlong to begin with. Thirdly, he is of the hop around and gesticulate passionately school of conducting, which grows tiresome quickly. I've read that if the conductor has prepared the ensemble well for a piece, the conductor merely needs to beat time during the performance. His wild gestures attempting to evoke a certain phrasing or dynamics seem to go unheeded by the orchestra - these gestures appear to be for show only. The orchestra knows its stuff, and he seems to be almost a caricature of a needy egotist, which I doubt that he is. He literally danced at the podium during the first concert, and I think the orchestra was so bemused that he toned down his act a little in subsequent performances. Still, he is a bit much. I remember a performance of Mahler's first symphony when he actually fell off the podium and ended up flat on the floor. But, still, credit where credit is due. He's doing all 15 symphonies over eight concerts, and I think that's an amazing feat.
The Venue
The Hibiya Public Hall. Why oh why? This is the oldest existing peformance hall in Tokyo - built in 1924. Tokyo has many superb halls, so I wonder why these performances are taking place here. Let me lists its failings: poor acoustics - at least on the main floor where I am sitting, low ceilings, the faint scent of mildew, uncomfortable seats, no armrests, and squeaky seats. The seats actually squeak whenever anyone changes position, and these squeaks resound throughout the performances. The seats are so lumpy and uncomfortable, that changing position periodically is a necessity. One realizes how the Japanese have gotten taller over the years when walking down the hallways or down the staircases or into the toilets to find such low overhangs that caution signs have been posted everywhere to keep people from banging their heads. Back when no one was taller than 5 feet, this would not have been a problem - an interesting byproduct of adding meat to a nation's diet.
The performances:
November 3
Symphonies 1, 2 and 4
Symphony No. 1 is an academic work from age 19. Sprightly and engaging but forgettable.
Symphony No. 2 is a socialist realist work containing some interesting modern orchestral effects, but it all comes to nothing. Some loud and passionate choral parts do nothing to help.
Symphony No. 3 - the same as number 2 but even less interesting.
November 4
Symphonies 5 and 6
The fourth symphony won't be performed until December - too bad they're not doing them chronologically. The fifth never fails to satisfy - surely one of his most internally consistent works. This was a very good performance.
Symphony number 6 is pretty quirky. The first movement is over 20 minutes long, slow with lapses of coninuity. This is followed by two short and fast movements. Then it's over. What an odd way to continue from the triumph of the fifth.
November 10
Symphonies 1 and 7
I had to endure a second performance of the first symphony this time by the Chiba Prefecture Youth Orchestra. They sounded fine, but followed later by the St. Petersburg group, they were defintely kids playing adult music.
The seventh symphony - which was premiered by this orchestra - has an interesting first movement - Shostakovich does Ravel's "Bolero" forms its inner section. The next two movements are pretty uninteresting. The last movement is long and loud. The brass section was amplified by additional players along the side of the stage. The audience erupted effusively at the end - I think only because the ending is so LOUD. Too much ado about nothing. But the snare drum player was heroic.
November 11
Symphonies 10 and 13
The tenth went pretty well. The second movement was played at a very fast and exciting pace, but afterwards I could see members of the orchestra discussing the pace with their partners, and I think they were not pleased. The symphony is more coherent than the seventh, less slow moments. A decent performance. Inoue mugged his exhaustion at the end - too self-serving and "please love me" for my taste.
The 13th is so somber and dark. The bass, Sergei Aleksashkin, was heroic. Some of Inoue's dancing at the podium elicited a smile from Sergei - whether of amusement or bemusement I'm not sure. The men's choir sang ably, but this is not my favorite of the collection
Summary
I have always liked listening to recordings of Shostakovich's symphonies. But in performance, at least so far, they often don't hold together. Too much noodling around in many parts making for an inconsistent whole. But, a number of the "good ones" are still to come: I look forward particularly to 9, 11, and 15
posted by Larry Wells @ 11:34 AM
0 comments
