It’s pretty hard to go wrong, however, when the lineup is the Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Orchestra in A minor, Op. 102 ("Double") by Johannes Brahms, with William Preucil, violin, and Desmond Hoebig, cello, as soloists, followed by the remarkable ‘Eroica’ Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 of Ludwig van Beethoven. Considering that the venerable maestro Herbert Blomstedt would be in charge, it’s hardly possible to consider anything other than nirvana as a result.
It was every bit as splendid as I'd thought it would be, maybe even more so. I love it when orchestra members step out front as soloists, and it would be pretty hard to find a better pair of principal string players in one orchestra anywhere than concertmaster William Preucil and principal cellist Desmond Hoebig. From the very first note, it was clear this would be special.
Mr. Hoebig’s cello has a huge, lush sound, which he reined in when necessary to keep from overpowering the softer slighter sounds of Mr. Preucil’s violin. No problem. The easy give-and-take between these two emphasizes their innate superb musicianship and long years of study and practice and playing together.
The large audience was very appreciative; shouts of 'Bravo' could be heard even before the final notes had disappeared. Mr. Hoebig will be greatly missed, as he returns to Houston at the end of this season.
The other work on the program, the Eroica, received a thoughtful, crisp and emotional performance that will also linger in memory a good while. It’s really too bad these programs can’t be visually filmed for more leisurely viewing later. There are so many aspects of the performance that sneak by even the most attentive viewer/listener. For instance, at one point, Mr. Blomstedt grasped his baton in a two-handed grip, very reminiscent of a baseball player warming up, swinging back and forth and side-to-side. It was certainly a grand slam effort!
The opening chords were crisply delineated, serving notice of the dynamics to come. The basses especially resonant, contrasting nicely with the delicacy of the upper strings. Modulations from one theme or segment or chord to the next were very subtle.
The famous Marcia Funebre appeared at first to be a trifle on the slow side, but that notion quickly went away as the tension built within. Throughout the entire work, the principal wind players held up their end of the piece in magnificent fashion: Franklin Cohen, clarinet; Frank Rosenwein, oboe; Joshua Smith, flute; Michael Sachs, trumpet and assistant principal bassoon Barry Stees. Horn principal Richard King deserves a special mention along with his section mates Jesse McCormick and Hans Clebsch, for their fabulous playing throughout, but especially in the Scherzo. Their bright, precise articulation added greatly to the luster of the evening.
At the conclusion of the music, when the orchestra was asked to stand for the bows, the members of the string sections turned to face the audience. I’ve seen this in other orchestras, and appreciated the gesture. How nice that our musicians are now presenting themselves to us in such a personal fashion! They should see how appreciative the audiences truly are!
Mr. Blomstedt returns this week, with one monumental work: Symphony No. 8 of Anton Bruckner. For tickets or additional information, visit the website: http://www.clevelandorchestra.com or call 231-1111.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Kelly Ferjutz artswriterATroadrunner.com
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