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Royal Theatre
May 3, 2010
Stravinsky's legendary ego, a shared condition among so many great artist, would probably have taken offence to the awkward billing of the May 3rd Symphony concert. "Glorious Gershwin" is a mischievous title that undersells the program's real artistic climax, a polished and vivid rendition of the score to Stravinsky's Petrushka. The tuneful sass of both An American in Paris and the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra nonetheless prefaced the ballet brilliantly, and rounded out a highly enjoyable evening of music.
An American in Paris was Gershwin's second breakthrough in his classical-jazz hybrid style, and while it has met mixed scrutiny from serious music critics the piece's animated bounce has made it a popular draw since 1928. The skipping step of the introductory measures left me with an impression that stuck with me through the whole two hours, that orchestra sounded particularly well-oiled and thoroughly rehearsed. I knew that the rehearsal schedule for this performance had been gruelling, and this knowledge might have coloured my perspective, but I really appreciated the homogenous and fluid sound.
The orchestra played with easy sass, and drew whooping and laughter from the rapt audience. I've heard the orchestra make a foundering attempt at swing in the past, but I thought the rhythm was this time around totally convincing. Brass (particularly trumpet) and bassoon stood out admirably. My only grievances were with the percussion and cello sections, who failed to come through when it seemed like they should really be going the extra mile.
Gershwin's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra sported a very similar flavour to that of the above piece, but it was markedly closer in form to traditional classical music. As much as soloist Winston Choi laced his playing with jazzy twang, it was nonetheless "proper" swing. I don't mean to suggest that his playing was dry or conservative; it was genuinely fluid and sly, especially in the fun little bits of conversation between piano and orchestra where one seemed to be an arm of the other. I just couldn't help feeling that certain rhythmic patterns could have been played more convincingly and with less restraint.
The second half the concert - "Splendid Stravinsky", I think I'll call it - was devoted to a performance of the music from Petrushka, another one of Stravinsky's numerous acclaimed ballets. Lying in spirit somewhere between Pinocchio and Frankenstein, the narrative pursues the story of a puppet given life by a magician in the middle of a Shrovetide fair. There are some considerably tragic elements to the story, particularly in the losing battle with human emotions and the grim ending.
That's not to say that it was an easy time to be glum, as was laid bare by all the bright grinning faces I saw in the audience. The electronic caption over the stage announcing scenes' titles did a lot to provide context and atmosphere, so that the ballet could play itself out in our minds. The high point of the concert was probably the fourth and last tableau, "Shrovetide Fair (evening)", a composition that references and builds on the first part. Scenes such as Peasant With Bear and The Jovial Merchant with Two Gypsy Girls were particularly vivid and exciting.
Of the small notes I scribbled down during the concert, the one that stands out to me now is "rock and roll!!" What I like best about Stravinsky is that he manages to be at once both sophisticated and viscerally exciting, and I think the Symphony did a excellent job in communicating this dimension of the music. Couple this with Gershwin and you've got a performance with attitude, as well as immense entertainment value.
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