Mozart and Respighi at the New York Philharmonic.
by Paul J. Pelkonen
Programming a modern symphony orchestra concert requires balance, between the aesthetics of classicism and Romanticism, between modernity and the crowd-pleasing tonal music that is an ensemble's bread and butter. However, this week's New York Philharmonic program looked to be wildly out of balance, pitting a Mozart piano concerto (No. 9, the Jeunehomme) against Ottorino Respighi's giant Roman Trilogy, three sets of tone poems that, like the legions of ancient Rome, can simply bludgeon an audience into applause.
by Paul J. Pelkonen
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| The amazing fingers of Yuja Wang. Photo by Felix Broede © 2015 Deutsche Grammophon/Universal Classics. |
