Artist: Wiener
Symphoniker (Vienna Symphony)
Venue: Konzerthaus
Location: Vienna,
Austria
Date: 22 May 2015
Program:
1. Overture to The Magic Flute, K. 620, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1791
2. Sinfonia Concertante for Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, and Bassoon in E flat major, K. 297b, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1778
3. Prague Symphony in D major, K. 504, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1786
Eight years after I studied abroad in Vienna, I finally returned with my spouse. While we were there, we couldn't resist the opportunity to see one of the major orchestras perform in a beautiful venue. I even sprung for tickets slightly more expensive than the cheapest available so we could be in a balcony and get a good view. It was well worth it!
1. Overture to The Magic Flute, K. 620, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1791
2. Sinfonia Concertante for Oboe, Clarinet, Horn, and Bassoon in E flat major, K. 297b, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1778
3. Prague Symphony in D major, K. 504, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, 1786
Eight years after I studied abroad in Vienna, I finally returned with my spouse. While we were there, we couldn't resist the opportunity to see one of the major orchestras perform in a beautiful venue. I even sprung for tickets slightly more expensive than the cheapest available so we could be in a balcony and get a good view. It was well worth it!
[The
fantastic Großer Saal (Great Hall) of the Konzerthaus.]
The performance opened
with the overture to Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), a
quick, six-minute run-through of the high points of the opera. It was
active, vibrant, and strong, but of course, as an overture, that's
exactly how it should be. It was an energetic start to the evening.
The stage was then
rearranged to highlight the four soloists of the Sinfonia
Concertante: Paul Kaiser on oboe, Reinhard Wieser on clarinet, Eric
Kushner on French horn, and Patrick de Ritis on bassoon. This work is
well known for the dubious authenticity of the commonly available
arrangements, but the version performed here was a reconstruction
(presumably by Robert Levin) that supposedly approximates the
original lost score. I found it to be good and consistent, but rarely
remarkable. In several parts, it seemed as if all the strings were
all playing a single, unified melody, which is musically rather
trite, but it was nonetheless fun to watch the bows all glide and
jerk about simultaneously. Close listening to the soloists was well
rewarded, as these were performers of the highest caliber, and their
careful attention was subtle but delightful. The segments of
trade-offs between the soloists and the orchestra were particularly
exciting, and the final crescendo was quite a thrill as well.
The final piece
featured no specific soloists, but the wind instruments were still
very important. The first and third movements were some of the best
parts of the night, but the second was a bit of a drag. The first
movement started very dark and gloomy before gradually lightening up.
Once it got going it became very active and driving. The combination
of the timpani and bass was perfect: they worked in lockstep to build
a great rhythm. The second movement was conspicuously slower and
dreamier. It left me feeling like I was drifting in the clouds, which
might be pleasant in some sense, but my focus wandered. The final
movement restored the mood with full energy and I was even
pleasurably caught off guard by the false endings.
[Conductor Ádám Fischer can be seen departing on stage right.]
This was what I
presumed to be conclusion of the night, but the show actually
continued on in the central foyer of the venue! This event happened
to be one of four in this concert season that were designed to be a
little short and without intermission, but which then provided an
opportunity to hang out a little longer and meet the orchestra
musicians while a smaller ensemble entertained. In this case it was
the Quintetto Sinfonico, a wind quintet that provided light, airy
background music from a small stage in front of a large Beethoven
statue cast in sinister red light. Their performance was pleasant but
insubstantial; it was a nice bonus but was no major draw in itself.
Due to the lack of documentation, the ambient noise of conversation,
and my inability to adequately parse the group's spoken comments in
German, I do not know what they performed, but I gathered that it
continued the Mozart theme.
[Quintetto Sinfonico on a temporary stage under Beethoven's dark
countenance.]
I might have favored a
slightly more substantial primary program over the Konzertausklang
(finale) provided by Quintetto Sinfonico, but the idea is not without
merit. Similarly, the overture to Die Zauberflöte may have
been a little brief, but at least it was a high-quality distillation
of the larger work. The best parts of the Prague Symphony were
likely the high points of the evening, but since the middle passage
dragged it down, the Sinfornia Concertante was the more consistently
satisfying work. Furthermore, the interplay between the soloists in
that piece was a clear highlight. Even if no piece was perfect, they
were all of high quality, and I'd be hard-pressed to pick a favorite.
Score: B+
Score: B+
