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Three nights with the Russians at Benaroya

Three nights with the Russians at Benaroya
by Rod Parke - SGN A&E Review On three consecutive nights the Seattle Symphony brought us the Russian National Orchestra, the combined Russian and Seattle players, and Jane Eaglen singing Russian arias. The quality varied from exciting to disappointing, but never dipped below interesting. The Russian National Orchestra is the only private principal orchestra in Russia, all others being supported by the State. What first stuck the listener was the richness of the strings, partly the product of sheer numbers but also of a stronger pressure of the bow on the strings. I was reminded of the sound of the Philadelphia Orchestra under Eugene Ormandy. The second most noticeable difference was a tendency to retard and soften the cadence of almost every musical theme. I found this appealing at first but came to find it a mannerism that seemed to lack the emotional effect it was striving for. In fact, the conducting of Mikhall Pletnev, the orchestra's founder, lacked emotional impact in this most heart-on-the-sleeve music. The 'Vocalise' of Rachmaninov was lovely and in some ways the most satisfying of the program. Least satisfying was the Rachmaninov 'Piano Concerto No. 3,' with Alexander Mogilevsky as soloist. His strange posture (like a bantam rooster with his chest puffed way out) and extreme nervousness didn't help. His playing suffered from a complete lack of repose. With everything tense and keyed up, it was hard to get excited about the many climaxes in this extremely virtuosic work. His piano sound was harsh, and the poor acoustics of the center orchestra made it impossible to discern the details of any passages that were fast or complex. Coordination with the conductor was also rather rough. Tchaikovsky's 'Suite No. 3' was more successful. A major work that is seldom heard in this country, it is loaded with lovely melodies, often of a folksy nature, and gracious moods. A rather long piece, it did not, however, stick long in the mind. The next evening began with most of both orchestras on stage! Twelve double basses! In the first of only two works, Pletnev conducted. The Russian first chairs of each section were on stage but not Seattle's. Hearing Tchaikovsky's 'Symphony No. 5' with such a huge orchestra was interesting, and the aural climaxes were sometimes exciting, but this was more a novelty than great art. After intermission we got Gerard Schwarz and the Seattle first chairs in place for Dimitri Shostakovich's 'Symphony No. 5.' The combined orchestra was this time only slightly larger than normal, and the performance was more successful. The expanded brass was thrilling to hear in the climaxes, even if the overall reading lacked as much drama as one might have liked. The camaraderie between the Russian and Seattle players was evident and pleasant to see. A visiting horn player gave Susan Carroll (seated next to him in that section) a big bouquet of flowers, and several group photos were being taken on stage before the music. Jane Eaglen joined the SSO the third night for four Russian arias. They were from Glinka's 'A Life for the Tsar,' Borodin's 'Prince Igor,' and Tchaikovsky's early 'Oprichnik' and 'The Maid of Orleans.' The great Wagnerian soprano took a while to warm up, with the initial high notes sounding a bit shrill. She sang all four arias without a break, and was sounding glorious in all ranges by the two Tchaikovsky pieces. In fact, she sounded stronger and more comfortable in the lower range than I have ever heard her. These arias were mostly laments. One was hard-pressed to tell what language was being sung. Two works by Stravinsky were the chief delights of the program: his early (Op. 3, 1908) 'Scherzo fatastique' and his "Dumbarton Oaks" Concerto (1938). The early work predated his 'Firebird' by a year. It felt light and airy, almost like Mendelssohn's "Intermezzo" from 'Midsummer Night's Dream.' Schwarz and the SSO gave it a thoroughly lovely play that had transparency, buoyancy, and spirit. The "Dumbarton Oaks," for small chamber orchestra (15 members), was sheer delight. What a joy to be reminded of just how witty Stravinsky could be! Each first-chair got opportunities to shine, and they all seemed to enjoy it. This very jazzy piece made one smile again and again. Time to return a recording to my collection! So, if these three nights were not unalloyed joy, I'm very happy I didn't miss them, for there were many things to admire. Reviewer Rod Parke can be reached at rmp62@columbia.edu.