Classics concert beats with spring’s optimism
In her American orchestral debut, Herrmann was a marvel. With brilliant technique and tender yet authoritative touch, she seemed to melt into the composition, yet retain control over every carefully placed note. Her expressiveness and clear concept made each gesture an enhancement of the overall effect.
The opening Allegro, with its lively and changeable dialogues between piano and orchestra came across as a frolic grounded by excellent ensemble work.
Solemn yet never sluggish, the Andantino was a thoughtful journey, and a lesson in how to massage the key notes of a melody into a heartsong without once sounding precious.
Herrmann’s deliberative tempo gave way to the romp of the final Rondo: Presto. Again, there was no rushing, no fumbling, just a sense that each note belonging exactly where it was sounded.
Post-intermission was another TSO first: Schumann’s Symphony No. 2 in C Major. As much as the 1777 “Jeunnehomme” represented a stretch for Mozart, this 1846 work revealed much growth by Schumann, both musically and personally.
As a testament to his recovery from illness, it surges with upward-bound themes and melodies that rush at each other like waves on a choppy day at the lake. Schumann dotted rhythms to heighten the effect.
Indeed, the work seems rather bipolar — one of the diagnoses suggested long after his death — for Schumann’s illness. The strings carry the gravitas in repeated themes and fragments, often arranged as if for a super-sized quintet. They introduce each of the four movements and generate the most musical friction in a series of rhythmic surges. By contrast, the winds and brass dip in and out of the onrushing basis, suggesting perhaps seabirds surfing close to the waves. The sole percussion, tympanist Sally Rochotte, seemed at times to bridge the two major groups, announcing developments and new ideas.
The concert opened with Mozart’s Overture to The Marriage of Figaro. Playful and competent at the rapid clip the maestro set, the performance reminded me of my grandchildren’s hands, at times: Not as clean as I’d wish.
The concert will repeat at 8 tonight in the Peristyle. Tickets are available at 419-246-8000, www.toledosymphony.com, or at the door.
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