Tokyo Performances

Korngold and Sibelius

Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra
Suntory Hall
April 24, 2011

I went primarily to hear the Korngold Violin Concerto - a piece I have always liked although I think the opening theme of the first movement sounds like the theme from the old TV series "Star Trek". The advertised soloist - a European - was replaced by a Japanese, Yasushi Toyoshima, who, if my reading of Japanese is correct, is the concertmaster for the New Japanese Philharmonic, an ace group. I am assuming (perhaps wrongly) that the European bowed out because of the ongoing "crisis" which was, at that point, many weeks old.

In any event, the performance was very good, although not electrifying. It was preceded by Sibelius' tone poem, Tapiola (which I always naturally associate with tapioca) - not his most interesting orchestral short piece. And it was followed by Sibelius' Fifth symphony, which is a big favorite of mine and which was admirably performed. The conductor, a Finn named Hannu Lintu, presumably knows his stuff, and I liked the pace and the phrasing, although the very end was a bit over the top.

The final piece was Finlandia, but I passed on hearing that old chestnut again. We had heard unexpectedly at the beginning of the concert a Bach Air in honor of the deceased in Tohoku, so I was ready to roll without another elegiac moment.

posted by Larry Wells @ 10:53 PM