BSO, conductor Marcelo Lehninger, pianist Javier Perianes kick off 2020 with Beethoven, Tchaikovsky concert
BSO, conductor Marcelo Lehninger, pianist Javier Perianes kick off 2020 with Beethoven, Tchaikovsky concert
BY KEN ROSS
MASSLIVE
JANUARY 04, 2020
BOSTON - Get ready to hear a lot of Beethoven this year.
That’s because the legendary composer was born 250 years ago this year - sometime around Dec. 16, 1770 to be exact.
And on Thursday night, the Boston Symphony Orchestra kicked off its recognition of this important milestone with a thrilling concert featuring one of Beethoven’s best known works - his 5th piano concerto, better known as the Emperor concerto.
Thursday’s program - which was repeated Friday afternoon and will be performed again Saturday night - also featured a lesser known work by Beethoven (Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus) and another popular piece by another celebrated composer - Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony.
Anyone who wonders why Beethoven’s music still matters two and half centuries later simply needs to hear a magnificent work like Beethoven’s 5th Piano Concerto performed live.
But what’s truly amazing about Beethoven is how distinct his musical voice was in nearly every piece he created. And that was certainly true in the first composition on Thursday’s program - Beethoven’s overture for The Creatures of Prometheus, a long-forgotten ballet first performed in 1801.
This brief overture has all the tell-tale signs of a great Beethoven piece.
Confident chords.
Dramatic pauses.
Pulsating rhythms.
Very few composers - then or now - have such a strong, unique voice.
But what’s fascinating about Beethoven was how much he matured and changed in such a short period of time without losing his unique style. That’s why it was such a treat to hear Beethoven’s 5th piano concert played immediately after his ballet overture, which was written nearly a decade earlier.
Composed in 1809 and first performed in 1812, Beethoven’s 5th piano concerto remains one of the most thrilling, dramatic pieces of music. A stunning piece of music that has stood the test of time, Beethoven’s composition is bold, brash and beautiful, sometimes even all at once.
Nearly every great pianist and major orchestra around the world has performed this piece dozens of times during the past two centuries. (The list of who’s performed this piece with the BSO alone took up nearly an entire page in Thursday’s program.)
The first, thrilling movement remains a highlight for many classical music lovers. Right from the first, bold note, followed immediately by the sea of notes played by the pianist, we know we’re in for something special. And Beethoven backs up his bravura opening with a carefully-thought out composition that builds in intensity while also playfully toying with different melodies like a juggler casually tossing one ball after another into the air.
Under the direction of Brazilian conductor Marcelo Lehninger, the BSO and 41-year-old Spanish pianist Javier Perianes (who is filling in for the brilliant, Brazilian pianist Nelson Freire due to a recent shoulder injury) gave a solid performance of Beethoven’s first movement.
But it was the slower, second movement in particular on Thursday night where the orchestra and Perianes really shined. Time seemed to stand still as they beautifully brought to life Beethoven’s haunting and soulful composition., What I love in particular about this part of the concerto is how intimate and tranquil the music sounds and feels. And on Thursday, all of the musicians perfectly captured the tender intimacy of Beethoven’s second movement.
Beethoven then whips us back into the real world with a flourish of fantastic notes to kick off the third movement. Like many music lovers, I’ve heard this piece many times. But like a classic film or well-worn book, I never get tired of hearing this bright, lively piece. And on Thursday night, the BSO, Perianes and Lehninger clearly seemed to be having a great time bringing Beethoven’s showstopper confidently to life.
After a brief intermission, the orchestra and Lehninger returned to perform Tchaikovsky’s 5th symphony. First performed in 1888, this lush, romantic music definitely sounds like something written by the same composer who created the canon-filled 1812 overture and all those lush ballet scores.
But Tchaikovsky’s 5th symphony is also much more subtle at times, especially in the beautiful, slower second movement. On Thursday night, that movement sounded especially magical, thanks to the orchestra’s always-outstanding horn section.
Afterwards, walking back to my car, all I kept thinking is I hope the rest of 2020 sounds as magnificent as Symphony Hall did on Thursday night.
