[Originally published in the Toronto Star]
Toronto Symphony Orchestra at George Weston Recital Hall, Sunday, June 7
The Toronto Symphony Orchestra closed a three-performance run at George Weston Recital Hall on Sunday with an all-American matinée program rife with energy and optimism. Unfortunately, the turnout was light and many were seen fast asleep in their seats.
For those who missed it (both present and not) there were some gems on the program, starting with John Adams’ Short Ride in a Fast Machine.
Music director Peter Oundjian looked energetic on the podium and the TSO offered a particularly bouncing interpretation of Adams’ filibuster fanfare. Written during a breakthrough in the composer’s style in 1986, it focuses on the most dramatic aspects of minimalism (internal process and rhythm) and rarely fails to dazzle.
The percussion section sounded especially snappy and nailed the complex rhythmic interchanges pitted against the rest of the orchestra. While the transition from Roy Thomson Hall to the much smaller George Weston Recital Hall means dynamic adjustments are to be made, it was nice to see them play with a bit more volume than normal, which only gave the work that much more impact.
The concert also featured the Canadian premiere and TSO co-commission of Double Concerto for Violin and Violoncello by composer, pianist and conductor André Previn, performed by the enduring duo violinist Jaime Laredo and cellist Sharon Robinson. The fast-slow-fast work opened with a somewhat quirky first movement, filled with angular twists that rose toward a lush climax dripping with romance.
The second movement was the most cohesive and seemed to function as a kind of Super 8 movie projecting a nostalgic black and white love scene. With gorgeous doubled stopped lines, the soloists entwined as one.
The audience seemed somewhat taken aback by the final movement, which let Previn’s Hollywood film score chops shine through.
Other highlights included Samuel Barber’s Symphony No. 1, a work cursed with an awkward length that makes it difficult to program. Composed in 1936 and revised again in 1942-43, “The Symphony in One Movement” is one of Barber’s most graspable. It was in good hands with Oundjian, who led the symphony through a vivid and precise reading. In particular, Barber’s lyrical moments were sublimely played and emerged from the passacaglia like a morning mist on a summer lake.
The same could be said for the closing An American in Paris by Gershwin, whose catchy jazzy phrases were savoured by the trumpets and saxophones.
Despite a sleepy Sunday afternoon audience, it was a treat to hear some underplayed repertoire and the TSO in a more intimate setting.
#LUDWIGVAN
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