On Jan. 27, Gustavo Dudamel conducted the LA Phil in two works: the Concerto in A minor, Op. 102 “Double Concerto,” by Johannes Brahms with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and cellist Pablo Ferrández, and the Symphony No. 1 in C minor by Anton Bruckner.
The Double Concerto by Brahms was his last major orchestra work. It was meant as an olive branch to the Brahms’ good friend and longtime collaborator, violinist Joseph Joachim, with whom Brahms had had a falling out. It worked and Joachim was the violinist for the premiere of the work in 1887.
On Saturday night, the violinist was the esteemed Anne-Sophie Mutter. Her partner on stage was the young Spanish cellist Pablo Ferrández. The 23-year-old Ferrández and the 60-year-old Mutter are not strangers, however. Ferrández, who already has an impressive list of accolades, was a scholar of the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation, and the two recently recorded the Brahms Double Concerto.
Their collaboration in general and on the Brahms in particular resulted in one of the most exciting performances of the Concerto I have ever heard. The two performers were perfectly in sync and fed off each other’s energy. When not playing, Mutter walked around smiling, often looking at Concertmaster Martin Chalifour and the first violinists with approval. Dudamel, for his part, held the orchestra at bay at times to hear the two soloists, but let them rip when playing tutti without the soloists.
It is always a treat to hear one of the great musicians of our time as well as an up-and-coming musician. To hear them together is icing on the cake.
The second half of the concert was devoted to the Symphony No. 1 by Bruckner. Interestingly, Bruckner’s first symphony is in the same key—C minor—as Brahms’ first symphony. It is interesting because Bruckner was a devotee of Wagner, and everyone knows about the Brahms-Wagner debates. Even though the symphony was his first, it is nevertheless unmistakably Brucknerian. In fact, unlike most other symphonic composers, one can immediately tell a Bruckner symphony. The Symphony No. 1, like his other symphonies, moves from moments of blaring brass to moments of exquisitely beautiful strings. The symphony is energetic and intense, particularly the Scherzo, which was almost unbridled under Dudamel’s baton.
It was an interesting evening. First, the audience applauded after each movement of both works. Second, most people stayed after intermission to hear the Bruckner, which was surprising because the symphony isn’t one of the more popular and often heard Bruckner symphonies. And kudos to Dudamel for selecting this rarely heard, but wonderful early symphony by Bruckner. Of course, the Phil was in top form for both works.
—Henry Schlinger, Culture Spot LA
For information about upcoming concerts, visit www.laphil.com.