It was good to see music director Ludovic Morlot back on the Seattle Symphony podium, limping slightly and sitting while directing, but clearly in full command of his conducting and interpretive skills. Thursday’s concert at Benaroya Hall was masterly from start to finish. It also felt appropriate, given the recent events in Las Vegas, when the concert began with Brahms’ “Tragic” Overture. Tragedy is what we have been dealing with. The concert ended with Elgar’s “Enigma” Variations with the tenth variation, “Nimrod,” dedicated to the victims of this latest massacre.
In between came an insightful performance of Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with French pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet as soloist. This is really a concerto for all the percussion instruments with the piano (which is officially a percussion instrument) first and foremost, and Morlot had the four orchestra percussionists at the front of the stage on either side of the piano.
Where sometimes this concerto can be performed with the pianist pounding the instrument, Bavouzet never did. Despite the solo role’s percussive texture and no matter how fast or loud, he kept the notes sharp-edged and decisive as indicated, but never heavy, and in consequence he was able to bring out the brightness in this essentially cheerful work. This kind of playing denotes amazing control as the music is exceedingly difficult as well as fast paced most of the time, and he gave a caressing touch and contrast to the quieter, more legato sections.
Morlot coordinated with him closely. At times the piano more or less merged with the orchestra and couldn’t be heard except in snatches but that is part of the work. For long sections the strings don’t play and it’s just the piano, soft percussion, and the winds–who stepped up with excellent playing from the assistant principals who were taking the leads here. It was a rare chance to see and watch the dexterous percussion players, usually at the back. Matt Decker played the prominent timpani part, and Michael Werner the snare drums.
Bavouzet came back after enthusiastic plaudits from the audience, and played a completely contrasting encore: Debussy’s dreamy “Reflets dans l’eau” (“Reflections in the Water”) from the first volume of Images.
In Morlot’s hands, Brahms’ “Tragic” Overture was deeply somber, even weary, but at the same time firm and emphatic, with some serenity emerging from the winds and a decisive end. Brahms’ richness was there, and a touch of the comfortable.
All evening Morlot was eliciting emotions from the music, in each work bringing out what he interpreted as the composer’s intent, and no more so than in Elgar’s variations, based on his wife, his purported mistress, and many of his friends. These were vivid portraits of people: one curious and always asking questions, one breathless and excitable, one expansive and loud, another a serious type, and so on with the well-known “Nimrod” variation pulled back a little from its usual majesty to a more contemplative view, though still deeply dignified. One could even guess who was male, who was female from the music. Elgar wrote expressive solos for viola and cello, finely handled by Susan Gulkis Assadi and Efe Baltacigil respectively.
The orchestra, which seems to reach higher and higher on the quality scale, played its usual versatile best for each composer. This was a superb concert, and we have an entire season of this to look forward to! It’s repeated Saturday night.
