Daniil Trifonov shines in Basel

My 2016 summer holidays began in Basel with a concert by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) under its chief conductor Manfred Honeck and guest soloist Daniil Trifonov on 31 May. The concert was organized by the Allgemeine Musikgesellschaft (AMG) Basel and the performance was part of their World Orchestra series.

The concert venue was the MusikSaal at the StadtCasino, Basel. The concert attracted a full house and this unfortunately caused the 1,400-seat hall to be overly packed, as the air-conditioning could not keep up with the large audience.

Haydn's Symphony 93 in D major was the opening work. This symphony was played in the traditional symphonic manner, with no apologies to the historically informed manner of performance often favoured these days.

Honeck’s judicious choice of speeds allowed the PSO to articulate Haydn’s phrases well, without garbling in the first movement. One significant moment in the symphony is the bassoon fortissimo “fart” in the second movement. The PSO principal bassoonist executed this to perfection.

Lilting dance rhythms graced the third Minuet movement, whilst slinky and upbeat playing brought the final fourth movement to a spirited ending.

Next, the amazing Daniil Trifonov emerged to perform Liszt's First Piano Concerto. After a slightly fluffed start in his first cadenza of furious octaves due to an over-enthusiastically swift opening by maestro Honeck, Trifonov recovered well to enchant us with a most poetic as well as virtuoso rendition.

The variation in mood through the work is astounding, shifting from light, playful and impish to the full grandeur of arpeggios that traverse the whole keyboard. It is obvious that Trifonov was up to the task, remaining fully in control in his trademark fashion.

Regardless of Liszt’s impetuous technical demands, Trifonov delivered, executing delicate exquisite runs, octaves and trills of great length, whilst producing a tone of luminous quality. After long and sustained applause, Trifonov gave a gorgeously played encore in the shape of Medtner’s Fairy Tale Op 24 No 3.

In the second half, Honeck and the PSO gave us a reading of Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony that was beautifully proportioned. In the opening movement, the main theme soared with idiomatic rubato. The genial lilting 5/4-waltz movement provided gentle contrast to the passionate first movement. The scherzo, taken at a blistering pace, was a superb display of orchestral power and virtuosity. The mournful finale was the dramatic heart of the work.

The PSO and Honeck gave two delightful encores in the shape of the Panorama from Act 2 of Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty and the Galop from Masquerade Suite by Khachaturian.