After extended break, Hahn returns in memorable Brahms with NY Philharmonic
Add one, take one away. That’s the background to this week’s New York Philharmonic program. The addition is not just to the orchestra but to the whole classical scene: the return of violinist Hilary Hahn after seven months recovering from a nerve injury. She was the headliner for these concerts playing the headline piece, Brahms’ Violin Concerto, in place of the usual symphony after intermission. Hahn’s sweet, calm encore of a “Double” from Bach’s Partita for Violin No. 1 were the last notes heard.
The subtraction was at the podium. Scheduled guest conductor Herbert Blomstedt is under the weather this week, his ears too congested to hear effectively in a position that demands it. His emergency replacement is conductor and composer Matthias Pintscher, and the previously slated Schubert Symphony No. 6 was replaced with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7.
On Wednesday’s opening night, the results of the switch were probably neutral, with the sheer thrills of Beethoven’s Seventh making up for what was a short rehearsal time. As for Hahn, not only did she show absolutely no ill effects, she came close to exploding with what seemed pent up physical and intellectual energy.
Pintscher has conducted the Philharmonic in the past, and though he’s not been in front of the orchestra the past several seasons, he can often be found right across the street, teaching composition at Juilliard. One has always enjoyed his command, precision, and musicality at the podium, and the concert showed that those qualities have deepened the past few years.
An orchestra the caliber of the Philharmonic knows the Beethoven symphony well, and in fact played it this past fall with guest conductor Manfred Honeck. They don’t need to learn the music in rehearsal so much as to come together with a conductor on technique and nuances. It was no surprise that there were some flaws in the performance, but there were also some things that were quite fine.
There was only one meaningful technical mishap, Pintscher and the cellos mis-communicating on a cue in the third, movement. The long, slow opening introduction had good balances but didn’t have the usual tension one expects, the kind of interpretation that does demand preparation.
With that, much of the playing was excellent. Pintscher took immediate segues between each movement, which made for the feeling of a quick and steady forward velocity that was also light. His pace was ideal throughout, with an Allegretto that had a nice dryness to it, the expression coming not from wringing out any pathos but appreciating the beauty of the musical elements coming together. The final two movements were excellent, the orchestra playing with superb energy and a light-footed bounce in all the rhythms and the rapidly turning phrases.
The orchestra was terrific in the Brahms concerto as well, with a warm, sensitive sound, and masterful details like the incredible gentleness of their entrance after the first movement violin cadenza.
Hahn was tremendous. Her technical virtuosity and big, clear, ringing sound are a given, and there is no one who equals her in this concerto. What was special Wednesday was how she played with something close to fury. She attacked the notes and pressed at the tempo in her opening statement, like she was shoving the whole orchestra forward in time, establishing an urgency that ran through the whole performance.
In the outer movements, she made brilliant use of rubato, not just stretching time but reinforcing that with aggressive accents and articulation. The Adagio was of course more placid, but not really relaxed, it felt like Hahn was both pulling back the ferocity while organizing her thoughts for the music to come. This proved utterly thrilling, not just in how she was playing the violin, but the expression behind it. Every note had the force of meaning, Hahn urgently pouring her thoughts and feelings through the music.
As much as the Violin Concerto is a masterpiece of composition, so was Hahn’s playing a masterpiece of the purpose and power of musicality. The concerto is stupendous for what it gives to the soloist, and it takes a stupendous musician like Hahn to go past mere virtuosity and deliver the range, depth and intensity of human experience behind the notes.
This program will be repeated 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. nyphil.org
