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ENTERTAINMENT

REVIEW: Grimaud, Philharmonic tame tricky Brahms

Harriet Howard Heithaus
harriet.heithaus@naplesnews.com; 239-213-6091

 

It's not surprising some pianists refuse to perform the somewhat thankless honor known as the Brahms' Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. It could have just as easily been called the Brahms Concerto for Orchestra and Piano. The guest artist — Helene Grimaud Thursday night at Artis—Naples — must go through all the virtuosic maneuvers that typify piano star repertoire. But they're only grudgingly given a starring role here.

The Naples Philharmonic is the centrifuge from which its emotion is extracted, yielding power only in its eloquent second movement to the piano — after the oboe and orchestra reveal its theme in hushed,reverential tones. And while there are critical solo sonata-type moments for the piano, there's no cadenza to detonate. The orchestra plays such a strong role that if it doesn't grasp the trajectory of the concerto, the pianist isn't going to save it. In fact, anyone wandering YouTube can hear a  few performances in which the orchestra is rumbling along, but without a clear destination in sight.

Fortunately, the Naples Philharmonic, under the baton of music director Andrey Boreyko, has a clear vision of the work, of Brahms' emotional state and the homage to his mentor Robert Schumann, who had attempted suicide as the concerto was being formed. Grimaud, who has recorded it twice already, seems to have it embedded in her soul. (Hint to programmers at Artis—Naples: She also plays the second concerto.)

Helene Grimaud

The first movement can be especially taxing, for everyone involved — piano, orchestra and audience — without the understanding of Brahms' mind, which created it under the cloud of Schumann's deterioration and his relationship to Schumann's wife, Clara. The work both folds in dignity in its four-note honor theme and a sense of frayed emotions in its machine-gun trills; the philharmonic seizes both, and Boreyko is obviously behind the strength and confidence with which it plays.

Grimaud injects her own sense of rubato at the perfect times, effectively holding some notes till they nearly burst. She shows passionate power in the rondo, taking those cartilage-killer octave-wide arpeggios as if they're a tonic to her. It was a joy to hear. And this was a rare opportunity to do that; this concerto doesn't often come up in programming because its 45- to 50-minute length and the attention both performing and conducting demand.

Boreyko brought in the concerto as the finale, a wise move to give Brahms' supporter the stage during the first half, with his Symphony No. 4, the composer's last, and, ironically, one of his first. He had set this work aside after a tepid reception, so there are two versions of it: The weightier, more Germanic version is the one that is widely heard, with its somber opening that gives way to a stormy central theme, a dramatic, questioning one that Schumann embellishes creatively,in particular with a thrilling swoop of of the woodwinds right in the middle segment, and single-note triplets from the horns.

The strings must be especially athletic in this symphony, which is played without pause, and the Naples Philharmonic strings are on their best game constantly for the work, including a gently falling, second-movement solo motif  from concertmaster Glenn Basham. There are quick oboe solos everywhere throughout the evening, all of them clear and clean from principal Judy Christy. The Thursday night, the orchestra's performance of the Schumann was restrained, which didn't detract, but we suspect it will get bolder and spicier on Friday.

And, of course, now we want to hear the early version, since it was the one Brahms, whose work controls the second half, preferred.

The evening opened with a unusual piece, Mendelssohn's Overture to "Son and Stranger." It's a lighter, brighter work in which the composer's favorite motif's, little hanging chords and horn calls, give him away. Listen for the faux ending; it caught me ready to applaud a minute too soon.  It comes off as clever joke, just the right preparation for the comic operetta it was meant to introduce.

Masterworks: Brahms and Schumann

When: 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 6

Where: Artis—Naples, 5833 Pelican Bay Blvd., North Naples

Tickets: $15 to $72

To buy: Box office, online at artisnaples.org or at (239) 597-1900

Something else: Prelude talk at 7 p.m.; rush ticket availability, (239) 254-2666