On February 16, the Prague Chamber Orchestra made its appearance at Avery Fisher Hall as part of Lincoln Center's Great Performers series. This thirty-seven member ensemble (all male) has been hailed worldwide as one of the premier orchestras of its kind. Judging by their performance here it's easy to see why. Founded in 1951 by members of the Czech Radio Symphony, the Prague Chamber Orchestra is currently celebrating its thirty-fifth season and is conducting its eighth North American tour. The ensemble consists of twelve violins, four violas, four cellos, two basses, timpani, and pairs of flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons, horns, and trumpets.
Of particular interest is the fact that this group does not employ either a conductor or a music director, but, rather, takes its cues from the first violinist or one of the other string principals. This practice was not uncommon for ensembles of the Baroque or Classical eras, but it is quite unusual today. Even modern chamber ensembles that specialize in music of those years, such as the Academy of Ancient Music, employ a music director or leader (Christopher Hogwood and Jaap Schroder in the case of the Academy) whose responsibilities include choosing tempi, giving cues, and deciding proper balances. According to the Prague Chamber Orchestra's promotional material, this group is "led only by the superb musicianship of its members."
The Avery Fisher concert began in a most striking fashion, for rather than engaging in the customary warming up and tuning procedures audiences have come to expect of orchestras, the members of the Prague ensemble simply walked on stage en masse, bowed, sat down, and began playing. It was a riveting image of ensemble unity.
For their opening piece they chose the Overture in the Italian Style in C Major, D.591, by Franz Schubert. Composed in 1817, the music is obviously influenced by Rossini. The chamber orchestra played with brilliance and charm throughout. The string articulation was always incisive and the only drawback was the lack of bass response, which I suspect was due more to the acoustics of Avery Fisher Hall than to the ensemble itself.
After the overture, Czechoslovakian guitarist Lubomir Brabec appeared as the soloist in Joaquin Rodrigos Concierto de Aranjuez for Guitar and Orchestra. Though previously unknown to American audiences, Mr. Brabec is obviously an accomplished performer. His interpretation offered few new insights to this most popular guitar concerto, but it was a precise and sensitive performance, with the orchestra providing a near perfect accompaniment. This is no small accomplishment when there is a solo guitar. Improper balance between soloist and orchestra (especially a guitar soloist) can make any concerto a forgettable experience, but this performance was truly an enjoyable one. The only time one felt the need for a conductor was in the final movement, where the tempo lagged just a bit.
After intermission, Czech cellist Daniel Veis appeared as the soloist in Tchaikivsky's Variations on a Rococo Theme, Op. 33. Surprisingly, Mr. Veis did not display a robust, Slavic tone, which one might have expected, but rather a warm, almost silky sound which worked perfectly for this piece. After all, Tchaikovsky wrote this music as an homage to his favorite composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and the entire conception of the work is delicate in nature, as opposed to the impassioned, Romantic utterances one normally
...
Read Full Article
|
