Blossom
Music Center
August
11
An old friend with a flair for summer fare. |
A
pops concert with substance is not necessarily an oxymoron. Back in
his old slot at the Blossom podium on Sunday night, Jahja Ling added
some gravitas to a program of Rossini, Vivaldi and Mendelssohn while
keeping the sound light and the tempo brisk, a perfect combination
for a summer night.
What
most impresses about Ling is how effortless he makes it look. The
smooth, gliding conducting style, the lyrical quality he gives the
music, the occasional casual touch – Ling is not above a shake of
the hips to get the effect he wants – and his nonstop, 100-watt
smile make it all seem like a relaxed meeting of old friends. Which
in one sense it was, given Ling’s 21-year association with the
Cleveland Orchestra (1984-2005), which included six seasons as
director of the Blossom Festival.
He
opened with the Overture to La gazza ladra (The Thieving
Magpie), using rifle-shot rolls of the snare drum to announce the
piece and drive the introduction to Rossini’s beguiling melodies.
The strings were as golden as the last rays of the setting sun, and
Ling kept them moving, sometimes surging ahead of the orchestra and
pulling the players along. The key to the piece is developing a
headlong momentum without losing any of the detail, which Ling
delineated nicely. As an opening confection, it was both thrilling
and sweet.
The
soloist for The Four Seasons was Ray Chen, a
Taiwanese-Australian violinist who at 24 seems to have it all:
impressive playing skills, a growing list of awards and appearances
with major orchestras, and the kind of good looks and fashion sense
that merit a spread in Vogue magazine. Oh, and a pretty nifty
instrument, too, a 1702 Stradivarius with a dark, rich tone that
sounded especially warm in contrast to the orchestra’s silken
strings.
Young man with a Strad. |
Chen
can play – he knows how to get exactly the sounds he wants, and
brings impeccable technique and focused intensity to his performance.
He also brings a cheerful energy to the music, clearly enjoying his
work. But The Four Seasons may not have been the best piece
for his debut appearance with the Cleveland Orchestra. He veered back
and forth between early and modern styles of playing, slipping into
Baroque mode when accompanying the orchestra, then amping up the
solos like a race car driver.
The
modernist streak was so strong that during intermission, a musician
in the audience noted Chen’s Armani sponsorship and compared him to
Wayne Newton. This critic is inclined to give Chen the benefit of the
doubt, and suggest that works by Prokofiev or Stravinsky, which he
will be playing in Lucerne later this month, might be more in his
wheelhouse. Though admittedly, they would not have drawn the capacity
crowd that The Four Seasons did.
Ling
closed with Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 (Scottish), keeping
it upbeat and bright, even in the few darker passages. While the
sound was not deeply developed or especially transparent, it flowed
beautifully, a seamless and cohesive construction. The woodwinds had
a marvelous floating quality, shining brightly above the melodies,
and the strings soared, carrying an ebullient third movement to a
triumphal finish. Overall, the reading encapsulated the entire
program – pleasant and buoyant, with a palette and range that
marked the hand of an experienced professional.
With
a substantive touch for lighter fare.
For
more on Jahja Ling: http://jahjaling.com/
For
more on Ray Chen: http://www.raychenviolin.com/
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