By Scott Cantrell
06:00 on October 23, 2020 CDT
Natural.
Sometimes it’s a great compliment to pay for a musical performance and it’s an adjective that came to mind several times on Thursday night on the Dallas Symphony Orchestra program of two of Beethoven’s must-haves: Piano Concerto n. 3, with pianist Behzod. Abduraimov and the Fourth Symphony. You can sit back and enjoy.
The credits belong to guest chef Roderick Cox, a replacement for the originally planned Jukka-Pekka Saraste, and obviously a young primary talent. The symphony replaced the eighth symphony originally announced by Shostakovich, the latter now that the coronavirus pandemic has the DSO in socially remote camera orchestra configurations, for a limited audience.
Cox was also a replacement last weekend with the Fort Worth Symphony. Originally from Georgia, with a master’s degree in instructions from Northwestern University and his studies at the Aspen Music Festival, he received the prestigious Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award in 2018. It is evidence of a confusing and frustrating scenario that he is the rare black conductor working with primary orchestras and opera corporations on both sides of the Atlantic. I hope we’ll see him again soon.
I say “natural” in the sense that the proceedings were judiciously rhythmic and consciously balanced. At a time when so much loose agitation from the directors, especially the younger ones, it was refreshing to see gestures so economical, almost minimalist, but also strategically expressive Each movement meant something.
The timpani were too noisy, but almost never the winds and metals have dominated the strings, as they did in previous DSO concerts this fall. In any case, the winds might have been a little less reluctant from time to time.
Specifically, there were revealing contributions from clarinetist Gregory Raden and bassoonist Ted Soluri, and Cox gave the 4 solo obeisances of wind conductors at the end of the symphony. Less fortunately, as in this fall’s previous concerts, the violins were not perfectly arranged in the passages on display.
“Naturel”, however, does not give complete credit to the freshness and subtleties that Cox has persuaded, without ever sinking into turmoil or affection. additional to the following highlights.
Some pianissimos were shaded with undeniable threads. The weather was physically powerful but forced, suitable for composed music when the tools were much quieter than they are today.
Abduraimov an ideal spouse at the concert. In fact, it is a functionality in which you felt that everyone in the level listened to each other, listened attentively, responded appropriately.
The 30-year-old Uzbek is one of the stars of the younger generation of pianists and has an indirect connection to the region: he is a protégé of fellow Uzbek local Stanislav Ioudenitch, co-winner of the Van Cliburn 2001 International Piano Competition in Fort Worth.
Abduraimov got a little carried away in the rhythm of the first movement, building a large climax of Lisztien disproportionate to his surroundings; if not, with a bright tone, he played with sensitivity, scaling and modeling, with the maximum sophisticated touches of magic at the right time
It repeats itself at 7:30 p. m. Friday and Saturday, 2:30 p. m. On Sunday at Meyerson Symphony Center, 2301 Flora St. La live audience lately limited to complex subscribers, however, a video recording will be held on October 30,214-849-4376, mydso. com.
Scott Cantrell, special collaborator. Scott Cantrell, the news’s classical music critic, continues to dominate the rhythm as a freelance writer. and the Gordon Getty. News Foundation makes all editorial decisions.
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