Monday, July 31, 2000
Small crowd hears fine CSO finale
By Janelle Gelfand
The Cincinnati Enquirer
For the second night in a row on Saturday night, a musician of tremendous depth and artistry joined the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra at Riverbend.
And for the second night, a disappointingly small audience (1,545) heard the concert. The American pianist Garrick Ohlsson provided a strong, impressive finish to the summer season, following violinist Cho-Liang Lin on Friday. If Mr. Ohlsson lacks the showmanship and charisma of many of today's flashier stars, he is an artist who performs with integrity and sureness.
Since winning the Chopin Competition in Warsaw in 1970, he has long been admired for his Chopin; his new release of the Chopin Mazurkas on the Arabesque label is warm and authoritative.
But it is also a joy to hear him play Mozart. His performance of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9 in E-flat Major, K. 271 on Saturday was testimony to the style of distinguished pianism that he carries on from a line of great teachers who included Claudio Arrau.
Although there was the threat of thunderstorms, the weather cleared at concert time for a dry, breezy evening. The crowd-pleasing program also included Beethoven's Symphony No. 7, led by Jesus Lopez-Cobos in his final Riverbend concert preceding his final season as CSO music director.
Mozart's E-flat Concerto is not a bravura showpiece. Its pleasures are in its elegance, inventiveness and uncomplicated beauty. Mr. Ohlsson displayed a refined touch and singing tone from beginning to end. His runs rippled effortlessly; every phrase was beautifully articulated. He played with classical restraint, yet he was never mechanical. A powerful interpreter, Mr. Ohlsson brought out the soulful quality of the minor-keyed slow movement, with its muted string accompaniment.
Mozart's recitative-like cadenza was delicate and luminous. (Unfortunately, a motorcyclist nearby chose this moment to rev his engine.) The finale was brilliantly executed with lightning articulation and a light touch.
Mr. Ohlsson carried on a charming dialogue with the orchestra, and the reduced CSO forces provided sympathetic accompaniment. Still, one could question why the orchestra would program such an intimate work for the outdoor venue. As with last week's performance of Chopin, patrons complained that the piano was poorly amplified.
After intermission, Mr. Lopez-Cobos launched into a vigorous reading of Beethoven's Seventh. Although it lacked detail, the performance was gripping for its straight-ahead forcefulness. The strings performed energetically and with good ensemble; and the winds and brass made spirited contributions. Mr. Lopez-Cobos' tempos were generally consistent, although the first movement's Poco sostenuto sagged. The finale was so fast, the strings were a blur. Nevertheless, the result was intense and exuberant, and the audience responded with the evening's second standing ovation.
For the evening's opener, Mr. Lopez-Cobos whipped up enthusiastic playing in Johann Strauss, Jr.'s frothy Overture to The Gypsy Baron.
After intermission, retiring personnel manager Rosemary Waller was honored for her 40 years with the orchestra. Ms. Waller was hired by Max Rudolf as a first violinist in 1960; from 1968-92, she occupied the principal second violin chair, becoming personnel manager in 1992. Her successor is Walter Zeschin, personnel manager of the Colorado Symphony.
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