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The New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall (I): Soloists, New York Choral Artists, Westminster Symphonic Choir, Brooklyn Youth Chorus, Lorin Maazel (conductor), New York Philharmonic, Carnegie Hall, New York City, 17.2.2009 (BH)


New York Philharmonic
Lorin Maazel, Conductor
Susanne Mentzer, Mezzo-soprano (Child)
Celena Shafer, Soprano (Fire / Nightingale / Princess)
Jessica Jones, Soprano (Shepherdess / Bat / Owl / Bergère chair)
Kate Lindsey, Mezzo-Soprano (Female Cat / Squirrel)
Kelley O'Connor, Mezzo-Soprano (Mother / Chinese Teacup / Dragonfly / Shepherd)
Philippe Castagner, Tenor (Teapot / Little Old Man / Tree Frog)
Ian Greenlaw, Baritone (Grandfather Clock / Cat)
Kevin Deas, Bass (Armchair / Tree)

New York Choral Artists
Joseph Flummerfelt, Director
Westminster Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller, Director
The Brooklyn Youth Chorus
Dianne Berkun, Director

Ravel: L'enfant et les sortilèges (1924-1925)
Ravel: Daphnis et Chloé (1909-1010; rev. 1911; orch. 1912)


Lorin Maazel's recording of Ravel's L'enfant et les sortileges is widely regarded not only as one of the finest of the piece itself, but by some, as one of the finest recordings made of anything.  And in one of their best concerts of 2008, he and the New York Philharmonic did a concert version of the opera at Avery Fisher Hall, fully demonstrating both his own extraordinary talents and those of the orchestra.

So it was with great anticipation that I came to this concert, the first of the orchestra's two nights at Carnegie Hall, with some of the same cast.  Most notably, Susanne Mentzer reprised her role as the thoughtful child who learns life's lessons from an engaging army of animals and household implements.  As before, sitting quizzically on a stool, Mentzer deftly deployed her winsome, bespectacled face and confident musicianship to anchor a very strong cast depicting animals, human characters and even pieces of furniture, all of whom seemed faultless.  And from an orchestral standpoint, Ravel's score seethed with instrumental color, the Philharmonic sounding magnificent.

I particularly enjoyed the cats' duet, with Kate Lindsey and Ian Greenlaw in rapturous clamor using only the word "meow," and an enchanting moment for Kelley O'Connor as a dragonfly with the combined New York Choral Artists and Westminster Symphonic Choir.  The Brooklyn Youth Chorus added their freshness to the huge forces onstage, and in general the level of achievement here was high.  If only the gods of acoustics had cooperated, for in a curious twist, the balances seemed slightly off, with the gigantic orchestra sometimes treading rather thickly over the singers.  Given the adjustment to Carnegie's space, I wondered whether the ensemble had enough rehearsal time.  But still, there was plenty to admire.  Maazel grasps the magic here, perhaps better than anyone.

The complete Daphnis et Chloé, still with some of the same balance issues, fared better.    From the first stirrings, the musicians summoned up mystery and awe, with fine showings from the woodwinds.  Despite the horns being slightly flummoxed at a cruel entrance about twenty minutes in, there was still some exquisite playing, especially from the strings.  Granted, some climaxes veered toward the brash.  But in general, Maazel seemed unusually relaxed, pulling out huge swaths of color as the tension escalated.  Special praise for the Philharmonic's principal flute, Robert Langevin, who spun out Ravel's long lines with masterful ease.  The final pages, combining lyricism, nostalgia, quickness and mounting frenzy, had the audience spellbound.

Bruce Hodges


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