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SEEN AND HEARD  CONCERT REVIEW
 

Pintscher, Schumann and Brahms: Evgenia Rubinova (piano)  London Philarmonic Orchestra  Vladimir Jurowski (conductor) Evgenia Rubinova (piano) Royal Festival Hall. London 25.5.2008 (GD)

Pintscher: ‘towards Osiris’ (UK premiere)
Schumann: Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 54
Brahms: Symphony No 1 in C minor Op 68


Pintscher’s ‘towards Osiris’ is part of a quartet of short orchestral works he was commissioned to write for the Berlin Philharmonic in 2005,  as ‘asteroids’ to partner performances they were giving and recording of Holst’s ‘The Planets’ with Sir Simon Rattle. In some ways Holst’s over-recorded work with its inclusion of a decidedly parochial patriotic hymn (as though a group of astronauts in deep space suddenly start  flying the flag and standing up – anamorphically - for Queen and Nation) makes  it  tempting for any composer, given the cosmic theme of the work, to get as far away from this as possible. Here Pintscher has made quite a good job. His work has it’s musical origins in Darmstadt but there is nothing at all parochial or conservative about it. Like many works in this ‘modernist’ quasi- aleatoric form,  the piece gives the initial  impression of discontinuity and fragmentation. In fact however,  it deploys  several themes variously morphed and re-morphed and thrown around the various sections of the orchestra like a disruptive rondo punctuated by sharp brass accents and an array of percussion in polyrhythmic constellations, halted momentarily by virtuoso trumpet theme with the semblance of a cadenza; all cohering to  several points of  thematic unity. Jurowski conducted from the huge heteroglossic score (an artwork in itself) in what sounded like (in the absence of my own score to hand)  meticulous attention to detail. No baton-technique was here in the standard sense, but a sequence of punctuating gestures to indicate changing rhythms and time signatures in the Boulez manner, although Jurowski did use a stick. The LPO, obviously well rehearsed, responded with excellent precision.

One of the reasons I was greatly looking forward to this concert was to hear Helène Grimaud in the Schumann Piano Concerto, of which she is arguably today's finest exponent. But alas this was not to be because Grimaud cancelled, owing to a slight hand injury.  The Uzbekistan pianist Evgenia Rubinova stood in for Grimaud at very short notice.  Although Rubinova played mostly very well,  the performance took a little while to ‘warm up’ (as they used to say.)  Also for most of the first movement ‘Allegro affetuoso’,  soloist and conductor seemed to have rather different ideas about basic tempo; Rubinova sounding as though she was dragging behind Jurowski’s quickish pace. She played the first movement cadenza splendidly however, coming fully into her own more expressive conception of the piece. This is certainly not how Grimaud would have played it but Rubinova’s rendition was satisfying in its own terms,  reminding me in parts of older pianists like Clara Haskil, or even Arrau.

I was surprised that Jurowski, who is usually scrupulous in matters of rhythm and dynamics, did not punctuate the march-like 2/4 theme in the first movement more keenly  - just listen two how jubilant it can sound in Richter’s old recording with the excellent Witold Rowicki conducting. In the beautifully economic F major intermezzo,  the performance was more on track with a good sense of dialogue between pianist and conductor. The A flat mid-section cello melody was also sensitively shaped without ever sounding too expressive.

The ‘Allegro vivace’ A major finale went well for the most part. Its initial buoyant 3/4 flow sounding both resilient and assured. My only criticism was that the second subject, overlaid with a 3/3 rhythmic pattern (the famous deux-temps section) didn’t quite catch the cross-rhythm overlay between soloist and orchestra which is  superbly fashioned in Grimaud’s latest recording with the Dresden Staatskapelle and Esa-Pekka Salonen. Jurowski conducted the A minor fugato section with great finesse and precision and both soloist and conductor  brought the concerto magnificently to its jubilant coda with its ‘irresistable’ ‘light touch’ (Tovey).

Jurowski’s attention was very much on the ‘sostenuto’ in the opening of Brahms' first symphony. It was refreshing to hear Jurowski eschew all traces of  portentous heaviness in the great C minor opening procession of themes, which he took at very swift tempo indeed; a practice initiated by Toscanini as a riposte to the plodding grandiosity the maestro heard from mostly German conductors of his day, and  sadly still reverted to occasionally today.  With the observance of the exposition repeat (making more structural sense at Jurowski’s quick tempo) the main allegro moved with great attention to rhythmic/ lyrical contrast. Even  the mysteriously modulated ‘pianissmo’ F minor section,  preceding the vast recapitulation with its augmentation between basses and bassoon and the distant solemn ring of the trumpet, which is usually kept legato pianissimo, was given a slight accent before each entry: it sounded convincing because it was in total accord with Jurowski’s bold and unorthodox view of the music. Again,  Jurowski convinced with the ‘Andante sostenuto’ by revealing that it actually sounds more convincing that way, which  sounds quite self-evident until you hear the distorted and dragged-out meal that many other conductors make of it. And to all of those who are yet to be convinced of the importance of antiphonally placed violins,  Jurowski gave us an object lesson  in the mellifluous clarity of the counterpoint thereby achieved in the full string melody iniated by the four-bar phrase. The coda was enhanced with solo violin figurations for once blended with the rest of the orchestra,  rather than developing into a miniature violin concerto as it so often does. It was also most sensitively played tonight.

The ‘Un poco allegretto’ gained in its overall design by being inflected with a sense of movement. Indeed Jurowski’s linear, ongoing way reminded again of Toscanini; although Toscanini inflected the B major trio with more brio especially in the woodwind and horn writing.

Jurowski’s rendition of the C minor opening of the finale convinced yet again by observing the ‘Piu Andante’ marking in the ‘Adagio’ – an adagio with movement- not an adagio which drags as is so often the case.  And amazingly (at bar 25) the ff diminuendo/pp timpani roll was played as that. Most conductors hold the roll when no hold  is asked for by Brahms. Of course when done in the incorrect way, the timpanist has his day in the sun  and the audience (the more unmusical of them) are thrilled. The advantage in playing the passage in the correct way however, is that the single notes in the double basses and double bassoon, which are blotted out by the timpani when played incorrectly,  are audible and thematically prefigure the wonderful glow of the C major horn call. Apart from tonight's performance I have only heard Toscanini, Weingartner and Wand play this passage as marked.

Wisely,  Jurowski did not labour the famous melody which opens the finale,  thus making it integrate more on each successive entry with the rest of the related thematic material. I have not heard many performances of this passage  that so skilfully integrate counterpoint (as that leading to the great recapitulation climax initiated in E flat),  lyricism ( as in the C major return of the lyrical theme stated in the initial allegro in minor key form)  and dynamic / rhythmic contour and inflection in both the development section and in the great coda itself. For once,  the coda did not sound as though it was tacked on,  so to speak. It emerged as a logical corollary of the preceding thematic/harmonic content. Nor did Jurowski  over emphasise the initiatory grand series of modulations which loom large in in the deep bass (Brahms makes it quite clear in the score that he does not want a visitation from  Leviathan here). And by adhering to the ‘sempre ff’ of the score,  the great C major brass chorale restatement of  its initial appearance  in the movement's introduction ( ‘the most solemn note in the whole symphony’ for Tovey) sounded noble rather than inflated and pompous.

Apart from an occasional stridency in the violins at climaxes (not helped by the dry Festival Hall acoustic) the LPO responded excellently to Jurowski’s every demand.  Jurowski is still very young, especially by conductors' standards, and I have heard many mediocre to bad performances of this symphony in the concert hall and on record, led by conductors well over twice his age. If tonight's music making (especially the excellent rendition of the Brahms symphony)  is any indication,  Jurowski is set to develop as one of the most rigorous,  integrative and important conductors of our age.

Geoff Diggines


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