Bacewicz' "Overture" With The Juilliard Orchestra

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Parent Category: Film and the Arts

Category: Reviews

Published on Thursday, 07 November 2024 16:21

Written by Jack Angstreich

Photo by Claudio Papapietro

At Lincoln Center’s superb Alice Tully Hall on the night of Monday, October 28th, I had the considerable pleasure to attend an excellent concert presented by the Juilliard Orchestra, under the distinguished direction of Daniela Candillari. 

The event opened admirably with an effective account of Grażyna Bacewicz fine Overture from 1943. In a useful program note by Noémie Chemali, she provides an apt description of the piece that I could scarcely improve upon:

Despite Bacewicz's assertion that music “simply expresses itself” rather than conveying extramusical meanings, her Overture pulses with vitality. Its syncopated rhythms and bold orchestration contrast seamlessly with more lyrical passages, creating a dynamic, tension-filled work marked by neoclassical precision. The Overture showcases Bacewicz's rhythmic intensity and structural clarity, traits that would define her compositional voice for the remainder of her career. 

A remarkable soloist, Sophia Werner, then entered the stage for a rewarding performance of Samuel Barber’s magnificent Violin Concerto, Op. 14, from 1949. The initial Allegro begins in song-like fashion and builds in intensity; melodious as the movement is, it is not without astringency or dramatic conflict. The Andante that follows is more subdued, with an almost elegiac quality; it becomes more passionate before ending quietly. The Presto in moto perpetuo finale is propulsive and spiky, concluding suddenly.

The second half of the evening was comparable in power, consisting of a compelling realization of Dmitri Shostakovich’s imposing Symphony No. 10 in E Minor, Op. 93, from 1953. The annotator aptly comments:

The first movement, Moderato, is expansive and brooding, setting a somber tone from the start. The music unfolds slowly, with haunting melodies that some interpret as expressing Shostakovich's long-suppressed inner torment. 

That movement finishes softly while the ensuing Allegro is forceful and brisk and ends abruptly. The succeeding Scherzo, marked Allegretto, has moments of levity alternating with music more stern in mood, and closes gently. Chemali correctly avers:

The final movement, Andante—Allegro, begins with a slow, reflective introduction, reminiscent of the first movement's darker mood. The music soon shifts to a more optimistic and triumphant conclusion. Many interpret this as Shostakovich's expression of survival, resilience, and creative freedom after years of censorship and persecution. 

The artists deservedly received a very enthusiastic ovation.

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