Janowski’s belated Philharmonic debut solid but unexceptional
This week’s New York Philharmonic subscription program in David Geffen Hall is subtly unusual. A Weber overture, Mendelssohn concerto, and Schumann symphony hardly appear out of the ordinary, but the details matter. The overture is the rarely heard one to Der Beherrscher der Geister (The Ruler of the Spirits); Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 is far from his most popular work, even with Beatrice Rana as soloist; and Schumann’s Third Symphony was the headline piece for a noteworthy Philharmonic debut. After decades on the podium, the esteemed German conductor Marek Janowski is only now leading the Philharmonic.
This repertoire is Janowski’s bread and butter (outside of the opera house), and there was a crispness to the Philharmonic’s playing all night—even with some noticeable substitutions in the orchestra—that conveyed a sense of long experience and expert certitude. The Weber overture was especially punchy. The music began at near maximum intensity, then sprinted through several dramatic climaxes. The Philharmonic played with exceptional verve and a feeling of quickness throughout, and the lighter moments came close to the quality of Rossini.
Mendelssohn’s piano concertos are not performed as often as those of his late classical and early romantic era peers, and one reason may be that they are not on the same level as the works of Beethoven, Mozart, and Schumann. Piano Concerto No. 1 is a decent work but has little of the style and grace one expects from the composer. Things like octave runs, fast scales, and cascading arpeggios were such standard gestures even by the time of composition, 1831, that little about them marks an individual voice.
That being said, Rana’s playing was exceptional, a clear example of how performers can elevate a work they believe in. Her technique was immaculate and muscular—if the music wasn’t that interesting, her playing was. But it was in the slower music, like the secondary subject of the first movement and the middle Andante movement, that she shone.
In these places, Rana played with great care and a sense of pace that was gauged not just for each phrase but the larger form. Each line was simple and finely carved, neither delicate nor exaggerated. The music flowed, but there was a sense of spaciousness between phrases, like declarative sentences that each added to the expressive weight of the music in the moments when there was only resonance in the hall. This was deeply impressive musicality.
Her encore, the “Spinning Song” from Mendelssohn’s Lieder ohne Worte, satisfied the adoring crowd, but in contrast to the concerto was surprisingly sluggish and heavy, played without the same care.
After intermission, the Schumann symphony was solid, but just short of superb. One had the experience of enjoying the passage of this wonderful work, while at times wanting just a bit more of everything, a bit more force in the cross-rhythms of the first movement, a bit more propulsion in the third (“Nicht schnell”), a touch of wildness in the fifth.
Still the soaring phrases and energy of the opening movement were fine, and the Scherzo had what felt like a specific Germanic suavity to it. Janowski’s development of the shape and forward-moving intensity in the fourth movement (“Feierlich”) were excellent, especially in a movement that can easily turn solipsistic. This was also set as a terrific contrast in mood with the finale that followed it, making that movement more meaningful. A good night all around.
The program will be repeated 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. nyphil.org
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