January 14, 2017
In both of his previous appearances with the San Antonio Symphony, and once again on Jan. 13, the word that leapt to mind in connection with the German violinist Kolja Blacher was “integrity.”
We heard him first in 2011, when he was the soloist in Alban Berg’s numinous Violin Concerto under Sebastian Lang-Lessing. In 2014, he returned as both soloist and leader – conducting the orchestra from the concertmaster’s chair – in music by Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven. The venue for both of those concerts was the Majestic Theater, the symphony’s former home.
It was doubly pleasurable to hear him this time, again as both soloist and leader, in the greater warmth and richness of the Tobin Center’s H-E-B Performance Hall. The centerpiece of his program was the Mendelssohn concerto. Flanking it were Mozart’s “Linz” and “Prague” symphonies.
For the concerto Mr. Blacher stood at the center of the orchestra, where he could communicate intimately with every musician. He and they crafted an uncommonly unified, collegial performance. Although his own instrument projected a big sound with lots of presence, it also remained of a piece with the orchestral texture, especially in the lovely andante. The integrity of Mr.Blacher’s solo work could be heard in the purity of his tone and the purity of his purpose. He was interpretively direct, neither wanting nor excessive in feeling. His high notes were unsurpassed in sweetness and luminosity. His minimal vibrato was just enough to give sustained notes a vibrant sheen.
For the two Mozart symphonies, Mr. Blacher led from the concertmaster’s chair — its usual occupant, Eric Gratz, had the night off. The results were not entirely happy in the first three movements of the “Linz” symphony, which were beautifully balanced but suffered from blurry ensemble and too much interpretive modesty. The menuetto sounded drab, in comparison to Mr. Lang-Lessing’s high-stepping menuetto in Mozart’s G Minor Symphony the previous week. But the performance came to brilliant life in the finale. Here, Mr. Blacher took the “presto” direction at its word, and the orchestra, reduced to chamber-orchestra proportions, responded with crisp agility and high spirits.
The “Prague” Symphony was a winner from first to last, with precise ensemble, transparent balances (though slightly thin in the bass), intelligent detailing and well-gauged dynamics. It was a Mozartean sound and a Mozartean personality – multilayered, humane and, in the (very) presto finale, mercurial. Special notice goes to principal oboe Paul Lueders and principal flute Mark Teplitsky for their excellent work in the first movement.
The concert was the second installment in the symphony’s Mozart Festival. It continues Jan. 27 and 28 with guest conductor Gerard Schwarz and cellist Julian Schwarz in music by Mozart, his acolyte Franz Danzi, P.I. Tchaikovsky and the American Romantic Howard Hanson.
Mike Greenberg
Kolja Blacher
incident light
Review of Kolja Blacher’s 2011 concert.
respond
What integrity sounds like
Review of Kolja Blacher’s 2014 concert.
music
San Antonio Symphony, Kolja Blacher