Concert Review: Follow the Bouncing Bow

Joshua Bell leads the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Joshua Bell leads his troops. Photo by Erik Kabik © 2018 Erik Kabik.

In the years before the 19th century, the conductor standing before an orchestra, baton in hand, was at best an anachronism. In choosing the American violinist Joshua Bell as its music director, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields flew in the face of that tradition. At Monday night's concert at David Geffen Hall, Mr. Bell chooses to conduct most concerts from the concertmaster's chair (in this case, a piano bench) at the front of the first violins. Alternatively, he stood and led with his instrument in hand, using the tip of his violin bow.

Concert Review: Baton Man Returns

Alan Gilbert is back...to open the Bernstein's Philharmonic festival.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Alan Gilbert returned to the New York Philharmonic this week.
Photo by Chris Lee © 2017 The New York Philharmonic.

Of the clouds gathered lately over the New York Philharmonic, the darkest has surely been the departure of music director Alan Gilbert last season. Mr. Gilbert, the son of two orchestra members who was hailed as a breath of fresh air when he was hired, ended his time with the Philharmonic in June of 2017, after a relatively brief tenure of eight years. This week marked the conductor's first concerts with his old band since his exit. It was also the first program inBernstein's Philharmonic: a three-week festival celebrating the centennial of the orchestra's most famous and most beloved music director.

Concert Review: Rolling Doubles

Joshua Bell and Steven Isserlis at Mostly Mozart.

by Paul J. Pelkonen

Violinist Joshua Bell and cellist Steven Isserlis team up again at Mostly Mozart.
Photo courtesy Linfoln Center/Mostly Mozart.

Tuesday night's concert at Mostly Mozart, conducted by Andrew Mainze and featuring an all-star tandem of soloists featured a distinct absence of music by Mozart. Rather, the Festival Orchestra turned its talents to Brahms, Bach and Mendelssohn. The program was well chosen, bringing together three unusual and infrequently layer pieces together. Credit for this must go to the scholarly Mr. Mainze, whose cool-headed, cerebral approach to music-making has four him at the helm of the Academy of Ancient Music and the English Concert.

Concert Review: Bell, Bax and Candlepower

Joshua Bell at Alice Tully Hall.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Joshua Bell at work. Photo by Kirk Fratzke for the Minnesota Beethoven Festival.

The violinist Joshua Bell holds a high profile among masters of his instrument, regularly appearing as a soloist with major orchestras or leading his own current band, the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. On Thursday night, Mr. Bell gave a recital with pianist Alessio Bax at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, exploring the dichotomy between academic, formal works written for the violin and the flashy virtuoso pieces that dominated the latter half of the 19th century.

Concert Review: Bowing to His Own Beat

Joshua Bell leads the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Follow the leader: Joshua Bell (standing, center) leads the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields
at Lincoln Center's David Geffen Hall. Photo by Ian Douglas © 2015 Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. 

What is the role of a music director? Is it necessary for them to be in white tie and tails in front of the orchestra, slashing the air with a white baton to direct the players, a set of gestures that can have the unintended effect of hypnotizing the audience who think that their job is to watch the conductor?

Concert Review: Finishing What He Started

Alan Gilbert conducts Sibelius and Mendelssohn.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

The Philharmonic from upstage with Alan Gilbert at the controls.
Photo by Chris Lee © 2015 The New York Philharmonic.

2015 has been a year of transition for Alan Gilbert. The music director of the New York Philharmonic announced back in February that next season would be his last at the helm of the orchestra. However, Tuesday night saw him back on the podium at David Geffen Hall, leading the orchestra in a program of Mendelssohn and Sibelius. The latter is greatest composer in the history of Finland, and 2015 marked his 150th birthday.

Concert Review: Live...With a Net

Joshua Bell rings out at Mostly Mozart.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Joshua Bell and friend.
 Photo by Eric Kabik for IMG Artists.

The influence of Johann Sebastian Bach on Western music is pretty much incalculable, beyond the words of a mere blog to describe. On Tuesday night, Joshua Bell returned to the Mostly Mozart Festival for an evening celebrating Bach's legacy and influence on three composers who followed him: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Felix Mendelssohn and Robert Schumann.

Concert Review: Stepping Into the Big Time

Associate Conductor Case Scaglione leads the New York Philharmonic.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

On the Case--Scaglione at the New York Philharmonic.
Photo by Chris Lee © 2014 The New York Philharmonic.

The position of associate conductor at a major symphony orchestra is not a glamorous job. They lead offstage brass ensembles (and choruses) in big works like Mahler's Resurrection and Strauss' Alpensinfonie. They run children's concerts. But once in a while, they take the main stage and lead an ensemble like the New York Philharmonic. For this week's subscription concerts (heard Wednesday night at the soon-to-be-renamed Avery Fisher Hall) it was the turn of NY Phil associate Case Scaglione to step onto the podium for a trio of 20th century classics.

Carnegie Hall Opener Canceled

Stagehands strike nixes Opening Night.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

There's a new soloist (but no audience) as Carnegie Hall goes dark for opening night.
Original photo © Carnegie Hall. Photoshop by the author.

In a move that sent ripples through the New York classical music community, Carnegie Hall has been forced to cancel its opening night gala featuring Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Joshua Bell and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Concert Review: In the Shadow of Death

The New York Philharmonic premieres Prospero’s Rooms.
by Ellen Fishbein

Alan Gilbert leads the New York Philharmonic.
Photo by Chris Lee © 2013 The New York Philharmonic

Alan Gilbert began Wednesday night's New York Philharmonic concert with a program change.

"The New York Philharmonic and I were discussing dedicating a piece to Sir Colin Davis. Then, we heard about the senseless massacre in Boston." The evening began with Nimrod from Elgar's Enigma Variations. The short work was dedicated to both the late conductor and to the victims of the bombing at the Boston Marathon. Mr. Gilbert held a reverent moment of silence at the end, as the impact of these events was felt, not heard.

Concert Review: Reverse Culture Shock

Daniel Harding conducts Knussen, Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky.

Daniel Harding. Photo by K. Miura.

In setting a symphony program, it is common practice to slip a modern work in between tried-and-true compositions, giving audiences a chance to hear cutting-edge music in conjunction with their favorites.

Concert Review: Mozart Goes Last, But Comes First

Mostly Mozart, with Joshua Bell at Avery Fisher Hall.

Violinist Joshua Bell, and four-stringed friend. Photo courtesy Lincoln Center.

Friday night's Mostly Mozart concert at Avery Fisher Hall featured a conservative, crowd-pleasing program of Mozart, Bruch and Bach under the baton of fiery young Spanish conductor Pablo Heras-Casado. Mr. Heras-Casado was joined by soloist Joshua Bell, playing Bruch's First Violin Concerto.

Let me preface the review proper by stating that this was the first Mostly Mozart concert that I've seen at Avery Fisher Hall in over a decade. So it was news to me that in 2005, the Festival installed an acoustic modification, moving the orchestra to an extended stage closer to the center of the room. Extra lighting and seats were added to accomodate the change, shortening the sloped orchestra seating. Seating risers were added behind the ensemble, and to the sides.


The changes also include a new overhead lighting rig, with sonic baffles designed to make the sound bloom in the Hall's problematic acoustic. Although I did not detect any immediate sonic improvement, the packed audience seemed eager to have the musicians closer and at their center for the performance.

The concert opened with Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 4, billed here on the program under its French title: Overture No. 4. The Mostly Mozart musicians played this work standing up, in the Italian style that is increasingly fashionable for 18th century music. But the first movement was problematic, with muddled entrances and blurry chords when Bach's notes should sound sharp-creased. The later parts of the Suite were better, and the orchestra recovered form with a strong Réjouissance..

Bruch wrote three concertos for the violin, but the First is the one that most violinists master and make a centerpiece of their touring repertory. Mr. Bell played an exciting, crowd-pleasing performance, soaring through the lyric runs and arpeggios and duelling playfully with the principal strings of the Festival Orchestra. In the last movement, he led the folk dance (which progresses from friendly to frenetic) with skilful string technique and exciting cadenzas.

The best music-making of the evening came with the Mozart Symphony No. 40 in g minor. This is Mozart's penultimate symphony. It is among his most famous works, and looks forward to the future of music in the 19th century. The last movement has two themes that are quoted by Beethoven in the Eroica Symphony.

Here, it was led in a potent, authoritative performance by Mr. Heras-Casado. Working without a baton, the young conductor seemed to ride on Mozart's great waves of sound. His conducting brought out the subtle secondary themes of the first movement, and the elegance of the minuet. The sudden starts and stops of the finale seemed to have extra force as he lifted his arms, bringing them crashing down to drive the orchestra forward.