Sir Simon Rattle, with contract extension in his pocket, and the Berlin Philharmonic have been storming across the United States for the past few weeks, earning superlative upon superlative wherever they stopped. By the time the curly-haired maestro stepped onstage last night, the audience was already in a frenzy, welcoming back a much loved conductor and rock star of classical music. The evening was worth the hype, and even worth the ridiculously inflated ticket prices.
From the opening bars of Brahms' piano quartet, orchestrated by Arnold Schoenberg, the balance and ensemble of this large orchestra saturated the entire space of Disney Hall. Sir Simon welcomed sensitive playing from all involved, with special care given to this over-sized chamber group. It was apparent that every player, down to the snare drum, was aware of the genesis of this piece and was restrained accordingly. This is not to say that when the final movement turns raucous and Brahms' Hungarian dance music surges through the ensemble that there was any trace of tentativeness or caution. In fact, what makes this ensemble so special is the precision by which they dispatch Brahms' swirling sixteenth note passages while accelerating in a frenzy. This is refined and precise playing of the highest order, and it's damn exciting.
I have a feeling if that the piano quartet were the only piece on the program, most of us in the audience wouldn't have complained. The ovation at the end of the piece was at least equal to most L.A. ovations at the end of a concert. The best was still yet to come. The meat of the concert was Brahms' 1st Symphony, a work the composer labored over for no less than two decades. This ubiquitous piece, the zenith of a "Germanic" symphony, has been an old hat for this storied band from Berlin. Over the decades, this piece has been recorded at least 6 times by this orchestra, including a brand new cycle of all four symphonies with Sir Simon at the helm.
Their performance last night, while expert, was anything but routine. Here is the finest orchestra/conductor collaboration on the planet right now refusing to rest on its past successes. The restraint of Brahms' large scale chamber group from the first half was gone, replaced by the menacing C minor opening. Their precision was more edgy, their outbursts more desperate. What continued to shine through, however, was the indescribable beauty of their playing. I have never, in my relatively short concert-going life, heard string sections with such a rich and complex tone. If the first violins were a dry and soothing chardonnay, then the cellos and double basses were the finest, smokiest merlot straight from the cask. They are sounds that are unparalleled. Furthermore, some of the finest playing of the evening came from the winds. The english horn, flute and horn solos were ideal and authoritative, cutting through to the top balcony of Disney Hall in perfect intonation and balance.
Sir Simon's reading of the score was not without some joy and drama. Particularly stunning were the conclusions of the second and third movement, welcomed in perfect control. The maestro's reading of the final movement was perfectly illuminated and flowing in its transitions with the various displays and disseminations of the theme shining through, and deceptive arrival points played off as the momentum roared into the symphony's elegant and glorious conclusion.
It was an overwhelming triumph for Rattle and the Berlin Phil, as the appreciative audience did not wish their ovation to be silenced. Given such applause, it was slightly surprising that the maestro dismissed the orchestra as the noise was still going strong and no short encore was given. On the other hand, it would be hard to imagine any appropriate encore to such a glorious piece and ideal performance. The L.A. audience was indeed content, getting their money's worth from an orchestra that showcased their refinement, precision, and above all, beauty in an unforgettable evening. Go experience the Berlin Philharmonic.
[Rant]While it is a good thing that a major classical music label has signed on to record Sir Simon and the Berlin Phil for the next four years, it is a shame that that label is EMI. Over the past decade, EMI has been notorious in their reluctance to embrace new recording technologies such as DVD-Audio and SACD or even high resolution downloads. Given the inarguable sonic and physical inadequacies of standard CDs, this is a tragedy. One need only look at the rave reviews of SACD discs by groups such as the Budapest Festival Orchestra, LSO, SF Symphony, and Chicago Symphony. These groups have understood for years the advantages of recording and issuing high fidelity recordings of their work. Given that the Berlin Phil is the finest orchestra in the word, and the complexity of their sound is so remarkable, it makes no sense that their work should be on standard CDs only. I would liken it to looking looking at Michelangelo's Pietà with smudges all over that protective glass that it's behind. Please, EMI, do something about this.[/Rant]
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It seems like there's a feature where if you tell Keychain to "Always Trust" the certificate for everything, you'll still get that annoying popup when you start mail.
