It’s not too often that a concerto eclipses the impact of
the symphony on an orchestral program—especially when that symphony is
Beethoven’s immortal Fifth—but this was exactly the case at the London
Philharmonic Orchestra’s first of two concerts at Avery Fisher Hall. Led by their
engaging music director of seven years, Vladimir Jurowski, the orchestra was in
brilliant form in both the Beethoven and dazzling showcase of the afternoon,
Shostakovich’s First Violin Concerto.
Written for the famous Russian Jewish violinist David
Oistrakh, Shostakovich expanded the formal scope of the concerto, eschewing the
standard three-movement form in order to pen a sinister four-movement symphonic
statement lamenting the plight of Russia’s oppressed Jewish community—a harshly
political condemnation that kept the piece unperformed until after Stalin’s
death in 1953.
Soloist Vadim Repin imbued the work with a sense of Soviet
authenticity, versatile enough to dig into the growling low passages before
crafting rich phrases in the highest of the instrument’s registers. Although it
took the lengthy opening Nocturne for Repin’s sound to truly declare itself, it
was well worth the intense build-up, as the third movement’s Passacaglia and
Burlesque finale showcased not only a virtuosic technical foundation, but also
a sophisticated sense of line.
The orchestra itself was of equal caliber throughout,
exhibiting a glossy sound that never forced itself on the audience, even in the
most martial of passages. Woodwinds, brass, and percussion were consistently
tasteful in their delivery—especially piccolo player Ian Mullin, whose
death-defying shrieks were astonishingly elegant while blending well with the
rich lower winds.
Returning to the podium for the Beethoven on the second
half, Jurowski took complete control of the ensemble, taking a more legato and
Romantic approach that showed off the finest assets of his group. With a
technique built on small yet precise baton motions, Jurowski was able to turn
the orchestra from blistering fortes
to shadowy pianos on a dime.
The strings took center stage throughout, with violas and
cellos giving a polished account of the second movement’s opening melody, and
the double basses climbing up and down the Scherzo’s devilish main theme. Even
in the most enigmatic of passages, as the Scherzo melody winds itself into the
sun-drenched arrival of the fourth movement, Jurowski perfectly controlled the
pacing of the crescendo and made the major-key arrival a moment of true edge-of-your-seat
suspense—a tall order indeed, given the universal knowledge that audiences have
of the warhorse composition.