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The Seattle Symphony opened its "Shostakovich Uncovered: A Shostakovich Festival" Wednesday night by jamming itself and the Russian National Orchestra together on the Benaroya Hall stage to play two familiar works.
One could argue it was just a gimmick.
Perhaps, but it was a fascinating gimmick.
The danger of so many professional musicians on stage at one time -- about 150 or so -- is that the sound will be too thick. Like molasses. In some halls that would be the case, most likely, but not Benaroya, with its transparent acoustical properties. What occurred was a depth of sound rarely heard. And that alone justified the gimmick.
One could complain, of course, about lack of adventure in programming two of the most celebrated symphonies in the Western canon -- Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony followed by Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony -- on the same concert. However, since the two orchestras only had minimal time together, the music had to be very familiar to both. And the Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich are familiar to every orchestra.
The division of labor was quite simple: Mikhail Pletnev, founding music director of the Russian orchestra, conducted the Tchaikovsky, and the principals in that orchestra played in their usual positions. Gerard Schwarz, music director of the Seattle Symphony, conducted the Shostakovich and SSO principals resumed their normal places.
There was plenty to admire in the Tchaikovsky. Pletnev has a way of shaping a phrase that is extraordinarily plastic. One never quite knows what he is going to do, but the results made this ubiquitous work seemed fresh. Tempos changed frequently, sometimes dynamics. The first movement had the greatest dramatic temperament and the slow movement, moments of sober beauty.
The last two movements were not as persuasive. As a pianist Pletnev likes fast tempos. He has faster fingers than most virtuosos and likes to show them off. He took some propulsive tempos in the opening movement, but they worked, building tension. The quick speed of the third movement, marked Waltz, effectively ruined its mood, and his fast ways in the Finale were self-defeating. Ensemble fell apart and passages were often little more than smudges.
Pletnev is a man of quiet manners on the podium. By contrast, Schwarz seemed almost frantic, which is really more of a comment on Pletnev's minimal gestures. But Schwarz wanted to make a statement and he did, particularly in the Shostakovich's final two movements.
With the Largo, the emotional heart of the symphony, the reading became passionate and moving. And vivid in its details. SSO winds played very well indeed, among them principal flute Scott Goff, principal oboe Nathan Hughes, principal French horn John Cerminaro and principal trumpet David Gordon. Guest concertmaster Eli Matthews, first violinist with the Cleveland Orchestra -- yet another applicant in the drawn-out search for a new concertmaster -- also made a good contribution. The concluding Allegro had much to offer in terms of breadth and controlled tension, but Schwarz caught Pletnev's speed fever and took some ill-advised tempos.
The festival continues until April 15.
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