SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Beethoven: Beethoven Cycle, Stephen Kovacevich (conductor/piano), David Juritz (violin), London Mozart Players, Cadogan Hall, London 8.2.2008 (MMB)

Beethoven : Romance for Violin and Orchestra No. 2 in F, Opus 50  

Piano Concerto No. 1 in C, Opus 15
Symphony No. 7 in A, Opus 92


This concert was part of the Beethoven cycle, which Stephen Kovacevich is presenting with the London Mozart Players at Cadogan Hall, playing all of the composer’s piano concertos and symphonies.

Although prior to the night, the programme was announced as starting with the Piano Concerto No. 1, followed by the Romance for Violin and Orchestra for some unexplained reason, the order was altered and the concert began with the violin piece. A small, slightly disruptive break followed while the piano was wheeled to the front of the stage and the orchestra was rearranged. The change had no  great  impact on the artistic quality of the performances to my mind, but it showed perhaps a little lack of careful, detailed planning.

The Romance for Violin and Orchestra No. 2 in F (1802) is a lyrical piece with a rich harmonic vocabulary that I personally think can be best described as a romantic poem without words, dramatic and beautiful, exuding a longing for perhaps somebody who is unattainable. David Juritz, the distinguished first violin of the London Mozart Players, was the soloist. Right from the moment he appeared on stage, he seemed slightly apprehensive and he did not play from memory. He introduced the theme to the first episode of the Romance in a suitably lyrical way; the melody springing crystal clear from his violin and lovingly accompanied by the strings, followed by the whole orchestra. Mr Juritz seemed at ease during this earlier part, playing comfortably and with confidence but he became visibly more nervous as the piece progressed, concentrating extremely hard, enough in fact to  give  the impression of struggling. During the second episode, particularly in the large, dramatic leaps and in the descending scales and arpeggios that follow, he continued to seem hesitant,  and the instrumental sound felt fragmented so that poetic nuance disappeared and the romance seemed almost over. Mr Juritz did recover however to bring the music back  together and his  delivery of the coda was both dramatically expressive and in suitable harmony with the orchestra. The London Mozart Players did not perform at their best either. Perhaps more rehearsal time was needed.

Once the piano was in place and the orchestra rearranged, the concert continued with the Piano Concerto No. 1 in C (1795, rev. 1800), which is actually the second that Beethoven composed but was published first. Stephen Kovacevich conducted from the keyboard, which may not have been an entirely  wise decision. Certainly from a seat in the audience, the position of the piano in relation to the players  made it difficult to  believe that the cellists and other musicians behind the raised piano lid could see the conductor/pianist clearly. It is a surely a moot point too whether any of the Beethoven piano concertos should be conducted from the keyboard even with a skilled chamber orchestra.  They are all pieces of great beauty but with equally great difficulty of execution, and many virtuosic passages that require the soloist's undivided attention to my mind.

This thought was strengthened by the fact that Mr Kovacevich started the piece standing up by the piano, leading the orchestral introduction to the first movement Allegro con brio. Then he sat down, to prepare for the entrance of the solo instrument, repeatedly turning around to direct the orchestra from what seemed a rather uncomfortable position, seemingly made worse by the very low seat that he used. The delivery of this first movement was certainly lively but not always fluid, some passages appeared hammered rather than played with the required delicacy; the piano did not sound liquid and clear and the sound was at times stressed and unattractive. Mr Kovacevich appeared to rush through some of the light, rapid passages, intended to display the soloist's virtuosic qualities but the desired  effect was sometimes lost and he simply appeared to be in a hurry. To add to these difficulties, he appeared to be hot and bothered, playing with one hand while clearing  perspiration from his brow with the other and giving instructions to the orchestra with his head. He was noticeably relieved when beginning the second movement Largo, where he seemed more at home, delivering the vocally expressive and lyrical melody with great clarity and beauty of tone. The third and final movement however, the Rondo: Allegro, also seemed to suffer from being conducted from the keyboard though in a less obvious manner. This is a movement full of high spirits, almost a scherzo and some of  its quirky passages came across  better than others.

Not all of Beethoven's rhythmic syncopations and irregular phrases - typical of his style at the time -  were brought out to fullest effect. I found myself thinking about Mr. Kovacevich's own recording of this piece with Sir Colin Davis and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, recorded in 1997 for Philips. That  seemed infinitely better than this performance, which did not do justice to his unquestionable qualities as a pianist and interpreter of Beethoven's music. The London Mozart Players played with vigour, giving the audience some of the best, most delightful moments of the concerto.

After the interval, the concert continued with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A major (1812), which alongside the Choral, is a personal favourite of mine. Though highlight of the evening for me, this was also a little disappointing by comparison with Karajan’s  benchmark  recording of 1962 with the Berliner Philharmoniker - now wonderfully transferred into an excellent quality Super Audio CD. Mr Kovacevich’s interpretation was completely acceptable during the first two movements of the piece, Poco sostenuto – Vivace and Allegretto, and clearly marked out  the first movement's rhythmic drive. The second could have been taken slightly slower perhaps  to bring across its haunting melody more effectively. Nevertheless, the melancholy that underlines the movement, through the extensive use Beethoven made of the A minor key, was well expressed. Stephen Kovacevich never uses a baton but his orchestral direction is very expressive, energetic and vibrant. The orchestra followed him with enthusiasm and obvious enjoyment. The two final movements, however, Scherzo: Presto and Allegro con brio, did not, to my mind, quite live up to the standard set in the previous two. Like the Allegretto, the Scherzo might have been better achieved if played slightly slower; speeding it up (even a little)  did not improve its impact and  it sometimes sounded dull, as if some notes were not individually articulated. The fourth and final movement, Allegro con brio, is an incredible musical achievement of course. Like driving an elegant, sophisticated and very fast sports car, it is  thrilling and dazzling pumping up the adrenaline in a way that very few other compositions are capable of doing. At its best, the movement's end, can feel like a final winning lap with the accelerator stuck to the floor. Unfortunately, this incredible effect was not fully achieved. The trumpets were at times strident and on occasions, both trumpets and timpani were allowed to dominate the sound over the orchestra as a whole, particularly the strings which had to fight to be heard. It was a pleasant enough interpretation of Beethoven’s 7^th but one that lacked passion,  failing to glow red hot and take the audience on a wild, dazzling ride.

Although this concert provided some solid, good performances,  I felt as if something was missing. The music's brilliance, passion and dedication were not always present, leaving me a little indifferent to an evening of great Beethoven, which often would have taken my breath away.

Margarida Mota-Bull

Back to Top                                                    Cumulative Index Page