Ingrid Fliter's hands flew across the keyboard as if they had a life of their own during Ravel's whimsical, jazzy Piano Concerto in G Major Friday night. The stunning Argentine artist wowed the audience and brought them to their feet, deservedly so.
As Paul Schiavo's program notes state, "several passages" in the first movement "call to mind Gershwin's
'Rhapsody in Blue,'" as the pianist scaled the Steinway from one end to the other. But a meticulous genius like Ravel could and did do more than mimic an American musical magician.
To me, the piece as a whole called to mind a whole day, which, in this case, began with a clapper "alarm" and churned at a frenetic pace all "morning" during that first movement.
In the middle movement, around lunch, the mood was meditative, as Fliter lightly touched the keys, treating us to some of the 20th century's most sublime piano music. Who wanted it to end?
But end it did, and then came the joy of movement three, afternoon and then evening fun as the playful Ravel shone forth, given life by a vibrant 30-something pianist and an orchestra led just right by guest conductor Susanna Malkki. A highlight included a splendid duet between English horn Carolyn Banham and Fliter.
In the first piece of the evening, Magnus Lindberg's "Parada," the conductor displayed deftness that would be a hallmark for the evening. A difficult contemporary work, Malkki elicited exciting, tension-building sound that gave merit to Lindberg's compositional abilities. Expect Lindberg to land on future Symphony schedules.
But the music in the minds of the audience as they stepped into the foggy night was the masterwork of Hector Berlioz, "Symphonie Fantastique." In particular, the fourth movement (scene), the "March to the Scaffold" almost blew the doors off the place. Berlioz was clearly a big fan of percussion, with all manner of drums banging and off-stage bells clanging away, stirring the emotions of his audience.
Of course, the composer, too, was stirred by the inspiration for this piece, a lovely Shakespearean actress named Harriet Smithson, whom he yearned after and eventually wed. But you can read more about that in books or online.
To paraphrase Will himself, the music is the thing, and the music of Berlioz never sounded better. Often in orchestral music, the strings are the stars. In the Berlioz, the brass, the winds and the percussion got the lion's share of attention for a change, with the strings playing a very able supporting role.
It should be noted that all of the key leading roles were played by women during this concert, which will be repeated at Powell Hall on Saturday at 8 o'clock. Female conductors are not as rare as they used to be, but it is unusual to have ladies in the roles of conductor, soloist and concertmaster (Heidi Harris) all at the same time.
All did their part to make Friday "fantastique."
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