Ehnes' excellent violin recital

A reasonably sized audience attended a mid-week violin and piano recital by James Ehnes and Andrew Armstrong. Considering the travelling difficulties of getting into Dewan Filharmonik Petronas Kuala Lumpur in the middle of a working weekday, the faithful audience were treated to a superb and eclectic recital by this eminent duo.

Beethoven's earliest violin and piano opus, the Violin Sonata Op 12 No 1 was Ehnes' and Armstrong's first offering. Adopting a bright and lively tempo, the duo's brilliant tone (thanks to Ehnes' lovely 1715 Marsick Stradivarius and Armstrong's Steinway) set Beethoven's opening joyous movement into motion. The duo's balance and "give-and-take" was exemplary and this was maintained into the second movement's theme and variations. This was particularly palpable in the minor variation's large dynamic swells. Ehnes and Armstrong imbued the ensuing final Rondo: Allegro with gruff Beethovenian humour and its characteristic offbeat accents and distant modulations.

Ehnes and Armstrong proffered us Ravel's Second Violin Sonata in G major next. The duo's polished playing was entirely appropriate for one of gentlest opening movements of the Romantic violin sonata repertoire. The modal melodies flowed sweetly, graced by warm and judiciously applied vibrato adding significantly to Ehnes' ethereal and shimmering tone. The middle blues movement took on an insouciant character, with subtly graded rubati and portamenti enhancing its obvious musical homage to Gershwin. The Perpetuum mobile finale was brilliant executed and crisply played.

After the interval, the second half opened with Brahms’ Scherzo from the FAE Sonata, performed pleasingly with a lighter than usual touch reflecting the "joke-like" character of a Scherzo, rather than the heavier approach that duos mostly apply to the piece. To end the recital, Ehnes and Armstrong gave us a wonderfully virtuosic rendition of Corigliano's tonally exciting and rhythmically exacting Violin Sonata of 1962-1963.

For his encores, Ehnes elected for mainly technical wizardry, performing Heifetz’s arrangement of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Flight of the Bumblebee with stunning spiccato bow strokes that barely lifted off the violin strings. The next two encores were Sarasate's Zapateado Op 23 No 2, played dashingly with pristine artificial harmonics and superb cracking left-hand pizzicati and Wieniawski's Scherzo tarantelle Op 16, performed with a Heifetz-like intensity but with Milstein's fluidity and purity.

Just when the audience thought Ehnes would play a further string of encores like Itzhak Perlman does in recital, he chose to say goodnight with his final encore, the rarely-played and touching Sibelius Berceuse (No 6 of Six Pieces Op 79). What sets Ehnes apart from other modern-day virtuosi is that even in his first three encore pieces, he never overtly showboats his violinistic skills – if anything he is so unassuming that one forgets how fiendishly arduous those pieces are.

Yoon and Vardai shine in Brahms' Double

A popular Germanic programme of Beethoven and Brahms ensured a capacity house at the DFP for Eiji Oue's concert with the MPO. Opening the concert with Beethoven's Leonore No. 3 Overture - the best of his 4 overtures written for his only opera Fidelio, maestro Oue gave a vibrant and zealous account, presenting a deliberate opening which added an extra degree of tension before leading into a robust airing of the main theme, with a particularly fine patina of rich string sound and dignified brass tone.

Unfortunately, the woodwinds' balance was recessed, especially the important heroic flute solo. After the ensuing quieter interlude, the off-stage trumpet solo was crisply played by William Theis. The music then soon re-erupted into a rumbustious and joyful blast, leading to a terrifically exciting conclusion.

The unquestionable highlight of the concert was the Brahms' Double Concerto Op 102, performed by the two superb DFP debutants, the South Korean violinist Soyoung Yoon and Hungarian cellist István Várdai. The sense of empathy between them was palpable throughout the entire performance. The solo violin and cello truly sang as one single instrument with an extended range and rich timbre. It was perfect rhythmic and dynamically coordinated duet playing.

Oue and the MPO announced the brief forte opening unison statement with indomitable vigour, whose expressive strength was taken up and even amplified by the solo cello’s and violin's opening pensive recitatives. Várdai’s eloquent cello playing registered more strongly than Yoon’s lively contribution, though both soloists exhibited faultless technical and musical command of the score. The minor tonal imbalance was probably due to Várdai’s superb 1673 “ex-Du Pre-Harrell” Stradivarius cello outshining Yoon's fine 1773 "ex-Bückeburg" JB Guadagnini violin, despite maestro Oue's judicious control of the orchestral textures and dynamic balance.

The flowingly paced D major Andante was radiantly played, with Yoon and Várdai spinning warm, silky and eloquent melodic lines of intimate heavenly beauty. Várdai began the brightly-paced final Vivace non troppo movement in an impish manner, bringing out its Hungarian gypsy flavour and folk-dance qualities duly answered by the equally mischievous-sounding Yoon. As the music turned to its tonic major, both soloists, the MPO and Oue brought Brahms' magnificent concerto to a grand conclusion.

After the interval, Oue's interpretation of Beethoven’s Symphony No 5 in C minor was a good symphonic account. Oue thrashed around wildly in all directions, often exceeding the exaggerated stage manner of his mentor Leonard Bernstein as he implored the MPO to give yet more and more. Often the MPO's response was slightly muted and detached relative to Oue's original intentions and it was frankly a bit tiring to watch maestro Oue leaping around on the podium.

Gesturing vigorously to keep a palpable decent pace, he drew from the MPO variegated layers of colour and a set of dynamics that verged on the louder end of the scale for the first movement. The richness of the lower strings initiated the slow movement and Oue painted a sumptuous tapestry of sound, interspersed with martial fanfares from the brass.

The warmth of the lower strings was also highlighted in the third movement, where Oue’s fondness for playing with generally louder dynamics made the mysterious transition from the third movement's C minor into the blazing C major opening fanfare of the fourth movement less effective than it could be. Tempo-wise, the transition from the third to fourth movement seemed okay, albeit a hair's breadth slower than ideal. In the fourth movement, Maestro Oue’s exaggerated gestures produced a fine forward momentum, leading to a cathartic end of Beethoven’s mighty opus.

Hans Graf's genial concert

Billed as "Heroic Strauss and Beethoven", the concert given by Hans Graf, Grzegorz Curyla and the MPO was quite well attended. I personally wanted to see the venerable Austrian conductor lead performances of pieces other than Mozart that he is justly famous for.

The concert opened with Richard Strauss' youthful one-movement Serenade for winds in E flat major, which was probably influenced by Mozart's Serenade K 361. This piece was aptly chosen as Graf's gentle manner of conducting brought out the chamber nature of this youthful opus. It flowed beautifully here, helped by some intricate and accurate playing by the MPO wind players.

Next up, the MPO's principal hornist Grzegorz Curyla strode up to give us the premiere performance of Richard Strauss' Second Horn Concerto in E flat major at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas. The Second Horn Concerto is a much subtler work than his youthful and ebullient First Horn Concerto, which suited Curyla's conservative style of horn playing.

Over the course of the three movements, Curyla's assured playing and muted tone seemed to blend homogeneously with the orchestra, rather than standing out as a soloist. His intonation was generally secure and with very few cracked notes. What was missing was a rich open tone and round sound, reminiscent of super hornist, Radek Baborak (previously of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra) who played superbly here twice in Kuala Lumpur in the last few years.

Nevertheless, the less sophisticated audience who applauded between movements of the horn concerto gave Curyla a good ovation and he rewarded them with a solo encore in the shape of Olivier Messiaen's 'Appel Interstellaire' from Des canyons aux étoiles... Curyla made all sorts of unusual sounds from the French horn, which was hugely enjoyable. The techniques that Curyla had to employ were flutter-tonguing, closed notes, glissandos, and faintly-sounded oscillations produced with the keys half-closed. This was indeed masterly horn playing here.

In the second half, maestro Graf led a very good performance of Beethoven's Eroica Symphony. Using a large MPO string section, the notes and the sense of ensemble were in place. However, Graf's reading proved to be beautiful and slightly less bellicose than revelatory. The expansive first movement was stately, but I would have preferred an edgier, less cautious reading, particularly leading up to the strikingly dissonant chords and syncopation in the development.

In the solemn second movement Marcia funèbre, Graf’s reading at a faster than usual tempo lacked the intrinsic tension and mournfulness that underlies the score. The Allegro vivace Scherzo third movement enlivened the mood and there was some good brass playing, especially in the section for three horns.

The emotional range of the thematic variations of the fourth movement was explored well and some particularly fine flute playing underlaid a sensitive and mature reading of the finale. A standout moment was the very "gypsy manner" in which the violins performed the G minor episode. This was a Beethoven interpretation of rounded, rather than muscled, heroism from Graf.

Wigglesworth's great Rachmaninov Third

Having missed the first instalment of the Beethoven Piano Concerto series which began in late September, I was determined not to miss the second in the series especially when it featured, besides a concerto, a spiffing overture and a lovely Romantic symphony.

The concert opened on an upbeat note with Shostakovich's rousing Festive Overture Op 96. The opening trumpet fanfares were tentative and off-pitch, typical of the weak MPO trumpet section often singled out as the Achilles heel of the orchestra. However, conductor Mark Wigglesworth skilfully smoothed things out with a mix of commanding presence and relaxed gestures at a fast pace, placing emphasis on the whirring upper strings, the wonderful singing ostinato line in the cellos, fine solo performances in the woodwinds especially the flutes and the clarinets as well as the dramatic, pulsating tension of the percussion section that led to a rousing ending.

The evening continued next with Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor Op 37 featuring Foo Mei Yi, who is no stranger to the Kuala Lumpur audiences at the DFP Hall. Wigglesworth and the orchestra laid firm foundations with an account of the first movement’s orchestral exposition that managed to be airy yet serious, but Foo's account of the solo part stressed the more lyrical aspects of the concerto at the expense of the brio aspects of the piece. It was as if she was trying to eschew a "Sturm und Drang" interpretation of Beethoven's only piano concerto in a minor key. There were also some occasional mishits, over-pedalling in some spots and weaker bass lines which dampened her limp interpretation of the first movement.

Things improved in the slow movement which was forward-moving yet lyrical and expressive. Foo made the long lyrical lines of the Largo sing, with the solo flute and bassoon encased in her enveloping warm-toned interpretation.

The final Rondo followed almost immediately, rousing us from the reverie of the previous movement. Foo invested the perky theme with great mischief and the final cheeky C major Presto of the thrilling coda was especially full of joy. The audience were thunderous in their applause and Foo obliged them with an unusual encore in the shape of “For Rico” (1981) by the Austrian pianist Friedrich Gulda, a classically conceived tripartite piece in the outer sections, with an improvised jazzy middle section.

In the second half of the concert, Wigglesworth treated the audience to a great performance of Rachmaninov's Third Symphony instead of the more-often played and popular Second Symphony. Composed at Villa Senar, Rachmaninov's house on Lake Lucerne, this symphony seems to hark back with a strong element of nostalgia for his native Russia.

The orchestra played with very full and warm tones generally, especially the strings, led by concertmaster Peter Danis. Avoiding any sentimentality, Wigglesworth gave us a strong, authoritative performance with well-paced tempi and subtle rubato as well as carefully graded climaxes in the first movement.

Wigglesworth imbued the second movement with an emotional yearning as Rachmaninov makes his impassioned plea for the Russia he could not return to, with expressive and beguiling solo work from the concertmaster and principal flautist. The triumphant finale was played energetically and with tightly-reined rhythm and Wigglesworth drove home the finale with a charismatic flourish, with the MPO brass and percussion in full cry.

Buniatishvili’s brilliant Beethoven in Lucerne

After the superb Munich concert, we headed to Lucerne for the final leg of our musical tour. The Lucerne Symphony Orchestra, James Gaffigan and Khatia Buniatishvili performed at the KKL (Kultur und Kongresszentrum Luzern) concert hall on 8 June.

This concert opened with Weber’s lively overture from Euryanthe. Chief conductor Gaffigan set the orchestra off at a cracking pace, creating an upbeat mood throughout the evening.

Although the opera is rarely heard in its entirety, the overture encapsulates the hero’s two great themes, with the drama of martial music from woodwind and brass giving way to the lyrical eloquence of legato strings. An exuberant final flourish conveyed a feeling of triumph, which set the audience up nicely for the Beethoven Piano Concerto No 1 in C major.

Since Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No 1 starts with a long orchestral ritornello, Buniatishvili fans were made to wait a while before her first notes. This gave the audience a chance to appreciate some of the exceptional qualities of the Lucerne SO. The strings produce the clear and crisp sound of a chamber orchestra, while giving each phrase a clearly defined dynamic contour.

When Buniatishvili joined in, her running passages were played with classical refinement and delicacy, contrasting with the power that she can muster when needed. She showed technical ability out of the very top drawer, playing Beethoven’s long rippling runs with perfect and chiselled precision and then handing over to the orchestra with resolute power. Buniatishvili dazzled in the first movement cadenza while retaining the elegance when needed.

The Lucerne SO delicately accompanied the soloist in her beautiful second movement melodies and she repaid the compliment when they took over the tune. The high jinks of the rondo theme in the final movement, first stated by the piano alone, then taken up by the orchestra, proved a rousing conclusion of a very stylish and immensely enjoyable performance.

After long and sustained applause, Buniatishvili rewarded the audience with a moving interpretation of Debussy’s Clair de lune from his Suite bergamasque.

Gaffigan led a performance of Dvořák’s New World Symphony that was subtly varied, with moments of melody and counterpoint, clarified orchestral textures, heighted rhythmic tension and release in the flute solo of the first movement. In the second movement, a gentle body of lovely string tone cushioned the exquisite cor anglais solo.

The third movement had a sense of urgency, but with relaxation in the slower middle section. In the last movement, Dvořák ties the whole symphony together, musically and dramatically. This performance was impassioned, with moments of utmost serenity.

It may be hard to imagine calling a performance of a warhorse like the New World Symphony thrilling, but James Gaffigan and the Lucerne SO made it so this time. It was apparent to the audience as well, with the conductor and orchestra being given a well-deserved and extended ovation and many curtain calls.