The Los Angeles Philharmonic received quite a workout this past Saturday night, appropriately so since the massive, highly anticipated Mahler Project begins this week at Disney Hall. Miguel Harth-Bedoya, an old friend of the Philharmonic who served as associate conductor for six years, from 1998 to 2004, demanded much from the group and got mixed results.
Antonín Dvo?ák’s “Hussite Overture” started off the evening with fervor. It was written for the opening of Prague’s National Theater in 1883 as part of a planned (but never completed) dramatic trilogy about the 15th-century religious revolt, a dark period in Czech history. The orchestra boldly recounted the tumult of battle, but sometimes at the cost of the quieter sections of thematic development. Still, by the end, it was clear the good guys won, and the audience was happy with the outcome.
Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet had come into town after performing with the New York Philharmonic on New Year’s Eve, playing Gershwin’s “Concerto in F” and “Rhapsody in Blue.” He played the concerto at Disney Hall in 2009, making jarring choices in rhythm and phrasing that didn’t sit well; New York was no different. However, with Franz Liszt’s “Piano Concerto No. 2,” he impressed with his deft speed, rich tone and ideas, dramatically complemented by Harth-Bedoya.
This piano concerto is fascinating in its form, played without breaks between the movements and a theme that is subject to endless variation. It’s like a symphonic poem in which the piano is accompanying the orchestra. But being Liszt, there’s also a good dose of thunderous material which Thibaudet seizes and explodes; he’s never been a risk-averse performer. He and Harth-Bedoya were on the same page, as both soloist and orchestra strove for a powerful exploration. It was brute at times, but interesting.
Harth-Bedoya showed off his musicianship during Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Symphony No. 3” during the second half of the program. Conducting with no score (as he did with “Hussite”), he had a savvy rhythmic awareness throughout, especially in the ‘poco adagio’ during which the organ makes its first entrance. Here, he made time stand still when he wanted, with beautifully transparent strings and a tenderness that comforted the listener. His one major drawback in the more exciting passages was that, in his desire to shape each phrase and nuance with a plethora of gestures, he asked a lot from the different orchestral sections at the same time. The overall sound was occasionally a thick mash that lacked articulation.
Call it a symptom wanting to squeeze every ounce from the piece, but it did come from good intentions. The performance was sincere and passionate, and nothing was held back for the rousing, triumphant finale. Joanne Pearce Martin, longtime keyboardist for the Philharmonic, was no less than her fantastic self on the organ.
Ebner Sobalvarro is a Los Angeles-based classical music and jazz aficionado. Having studied English at Boston College, he shares his passions for music at his blog cornerbooth.tumblr.com. Email him at ebner.sobalvarro@gmail.com.