Dvořák, Golijov, and Walton:
Gerard Schwarz, cond., Julia Fischer, violin, Charles
Robert Austin, bass-baritone, Seattle Symphony, Seattle
Symphony Chorale, Benaroya Hall, Seattle, 16.6.2006 (BJ)
Of all the dazzling young violinists
currently before the public, Julia Fischer, still in her
early 20s, may well be accounted the dazzlingest. A time
when performers of the caliber of Hilary Hahn, Leila Josefowicz,
and Rachel Barton, and such of their male counterparts
as Leonidas Kavakos, Anthony Marwood, and Daniel Hope,
are to be heard must surely be reckoned a fortunate time
for us listeners. To be sure, there are practitioners
of more questionable talent making big careers, but then
that has always been the case. The last time I had heard
the Dvořák's
Violin Concerto in concert, a year or so ago, the soloist
was Sarah Chang, and friends with generally excellent
judgement told me afterwards that they didn’t think
much of the piece. This was a sad conclusion in the face
of such a wonderful work, but I think it was due entirely
to the shortcomings of the performance. In particular,
it did not seem to have occurred to the widely admired
soloist that to ladle vibrato copiously all over Dvořák's
magical Adagio was inevitably to rob it of any sense of
repose, and in consequence to destroy all its inherent
contrast with the quicker movements that surround it.
Julia Fischer made no such mistake. I hardly knew which
to admire more: the authority and sparkle of her bow-
and finger-work in the outer movements, or the consummate
warmth and tranquillity she brought to the Adagio. This
is not merely a brilliant fiddler, but a musician of astonishing
intelligence and depth–a musician surely destined
to rank among the great violinists of all time. Gerard
Schwarz and the Seattle Symphony, who partnered her worthily,
made their own big impact also in the two other works
on the program. To start the program, they presented a
roughly 15-minute piece for double string orchestra entitled
Last Round by Osvaldo Golijov. Stemming from the tango
tradition, and designed as a tribute to the dance’s
celebrated exponent Astor Piazzolla, this was the first
work by Golijov–at 45, already a power in his own
right on the international scene–that I have heard.
Contrary to what I was expecting on the basis of what
I have read about him, this was no facile crowd-pleasing
exercise, but a predominantly dark-hued composition of
impressive tonal logic and emotional force. Obviously,
I must explore the rest of his output.
After intermission, the orchestra was joined by its associated
chorus – skillfully prepared for this concert by
Christian Knapp – and bass-baritone Charles Robert
Austin in Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast. This
was a nostalgic experience for me: the big, brash cantata,
with its extra brass groups disposed among the audience,
its propulsive rhythms, and its exhilarating interplay
of incisive diatonic dissonance with moments of calm release,
is a piece I heard frequently in my youth. The soloist
in those days was almost always an English baritone named
Dennis Noble, whom I hardly ever heard sing anything else.
It is some time now since I encountered a live performance
of the work, but it seemed on this occasion to have worn
very well, and the performance was electrifying. The choral
work was spirited, the orchestra clearly on its toes,
and Mr. Austin a strong-voiced match for any of his predecessors
in the important solo part. Throughout the proceedings,
Maestro Schwarz demonstrated the combination of verve
with pinpoint control over even the most complex texture
and the most hectic accelerando that seems characteristic
of all his work. And the lovely wistful moment just before
the end, to the words “The trumpeters and pipers
are silent,” showed us also how touchingly expressive
he can be. A superb concert, then, in every respect.
Bernard Jacobson
