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Monday, Oct 06, 2008
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Protect your heart from these Russians! |
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| Protect your heart from these Russians! | |
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by Rod Parke -
SGN A&E Writer THE ST. PETERSBURG PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA BENAROYA HALL TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20 I hate the limitation of my words as I try to express what is special about the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. Except for the Vienna Philharmonic, I have heard LIVE all of the so-called greatest orchestras of the world. None of them moves me like the St. Petersburg orchestra. This performance in the Delta Air Lines Visiting Orchestra Series was no fluke; I saw the same orchestra perform similar miracles in Edinburgh, Scotland, a couple years ago in what was far and away the most moving orchestral experience of my life. There may be specific ways in which other orchestras surpass this group. From Edinburgh (November 18, 2004) I wrote about the orchestras we heard there: "This orchestra may not be the most technically perfect (Cleveland?), best sounding overall (Dresden or Concertgebouw?), or loudest (Leipzig?), but it had a quality that left them all behind: a soaring songfullness, an absolutely irresistible musicality that sang right to the heart in a way I have never experienced before. There must be something in the Russian musical training that gives each player the ability to inhabit the music to a degree missing in most orchestras." In Edinburgh the conductor was Alexander Dmitriev. This time it was the orchestra's long-time director, Yuri Temirkanov. Both drew from the players an incredible unity of feeling as expressed in levels of shading unlike I have ever heard elsewhere. Every player seemed to know the story they were to tell and how best to tell it through phrasing of dynamics unlike anything ever heard in Benaroya Hall: not just stunningly sustained pianissimos but tremendous changes in volume within each phrase when appropriate. In fact, were it not for the obvious sincerity of feeling expressed, one might be inclined to called it excessive, a kind of burlesque. Nowhere was this more in evidence than in the opening "Entr'acte III" from Schubert's "Incidental Music to Rosamunde." What a strange way to begin a concert! Super-soft, super-slow, and utterly simple melody, yet unlike anything I have ever heard in this music. It was like a declaration: "We're NOT like what you are accustomed to!" What we heard was something deeper, much more complex. Did Schubert intend such profundity in this simple tune, played first on hushed strings, later sung on gorgeous clarinet solo? Who cares?! It was a fascinating feat, a sweeter appetizer than we had any reason to expect. Next came Brazilian pianist Nelson Freire in Robert Schumann's "Piano Concerto in A minor." I must confess this in not my favorite work, and it didn't help that Freire did not have his best night. He was way out of sync with the orchestra in the opening moments, and his playing seemed more effortful than in his wonderful recital last year at Meany Theater. Nonetheless, there was much to admire as things got going. It just wasn't exciting or special. Exciting and special would not begin to describe what followed the intermission. Prokofiev's music for Romeo and Juliet is familiar and terrific stuff, full of great tunes set with orchestral genius and amazing vitality. The St. Petersburg crew set a standard that I doubt will ever be beaten. Perfection sounds boring, but the perfection of this performance consisted of surpassing any kind of expectation one could have had for musical and sonic delight. From hushed dark velvet in the strings to raucous fortissimos in the stupendous brass, it just doesn't get better than this. Here was living proof why sitting in a good seat at Benaroya far surpasses, on sonic terms alone, what the finest home sound system can provide. It's so frustrating to say that this orchestra played with a unity that at times made one forget there were separate sections, at the same time as one marveled at the beauty of each section. You simply had to experience this paradox firsthand. I would travel to hear it again, but Seattle was the last city on an extensive US tour for the Russians. Thank you, Seattle Symphony and Delta Air Lines, for bringing them to us! Reviewer Rod Parke can be reached at rod@sgn.org |
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