SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

John Luther Adams, Mahler, and Shostakovich: Measha Brueggergosman (soprano), Jaap van Zweden (guest conductor), Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Symphony Center, Chicago. 29.10.2010 (JLZ) 

John Luther Adams: Dark Waves

Gustav Mahler: Des Knaben Wunderhorn (selections)

Rheinlegendchen

Verlor’ne

Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen

Urlicht

Dmitri Shostakovich: Symphony no. 8 in C minor, Op. 65

 

Led by guest conductor Jaap van Zweden, the Chicago Symphony played a program of three different pieces that drew on the ensemble’s various strengths. First came a relatively recent minimalist work by American composer John Luther Adams, Dark Waves, relatively short, and characterized by sound masses that were nicely distinct throughout the performance. Subtle changes in figuration that affected the color were easily audible, even in some of the louder, fuller passages. The composer was present on this Friday evening, and it was good to see him receive the warm audience response.

 

Following Adams’ piece was a selection of Mahler’s Wunderhornlieder sung by soprano

Measha Brueggergosman in her CSO debut. Her first song, Rheinlegendchen, was nicely performed, with the Mahler’s humor evident both in the voice and in van Zweden’s shaping of the accompaniment. The dialogue song Verlor’ne Mühe showed some of Ms. Brueggergosman’s ability to render the characters in the text and, again, the subtle humor emerged, with the concluding punchline underscored by the orchestra. The lengthier Wo die schönen Trompeten blasen received a strong interpretation, but the interpretation of Urlicht, which Mahler ultimately used as the penultimate movement of his Second Symphony, fell short. It may be that the character of the last song required a different approach from the others to make it stand out.

 

Yet the Shostakovich Eighth Symphony in the second half of the program was outstanding from start to finish. Van Zweden’s conception of this 1943 score was evident from the opening measures, and the orchestra responded to him well. The monumental first movement had a nice shape in van Zweden’s hands, with each section of the orchestra giving its best efforts in this demanding piece. The subtleties in dynamic levels, articulations, and other details supported the overall shape, with keen attention to these elements elsewhere. The performance had the intensity it requires, with the dissonant sonorities not only tuned well, but balanced in their voicing. Some sections of the orchestra were especially notable, such as the violas in the third movement. Likewise, the percussion was exemplary in its sometimes challenging role, with the timpani particularly effective. The extended woodwind solos were uniformly strong and well articulated, giving the impression of an ensemble of fine, eloquent soloists. With the Largo, van Zweden persuasively blended the orchestral colors, leading to the final movement in which the conductor sustained the intensity as if he had composed the score himself. The final measures of the Finale kept the audience on the edge of their seats, with a moment of complete silence at the end speaking loudly about the result—no small accomplishment, and a credit to both the exceptional musicianship of the CSO and guest conductor Jaap van Zweden.

James L. Zychowicz