Beethoven Festival: San Antonio Symphony
Second, Fourth and ta-ta-ta-DAH
January 21, 2012In the second installment of its traversal of the complete Beethoven symphonies, Jan. 20 in a packed Majestic Theatre, the San Antonio Symphony under music director Sebastian Lang-Lessing delivered lithe and polished accounts of the Second, Fourth and Fifth.
The story was much the same as in the previous weekend’s First and Third -- detailed attention to the composer’s dynamics and articulation, careful balances, an integrated ensemble sound, well-chosen tempos and full expression of the wit, bluster and excitement inherent in the music.
Some of the excitement stemmed from a little trick: Sometimes Mr. Lang-Lessing would pull back the tempo almost imperceptibly and then give it a little push to underscore certain dramatic gestures in the score and maintain a sense of propulsion. The same idea took larger form in the Second: The conductor set a fairly relaxed pace in the scherzo but then opened the turbochargers for a breathtaking race through the jocular finale, which the orchestra executed with impressive precision.
The violins were in fine fettle throughout the evening, often producing a silken sheen and a sound that was substantial but unforced and transparent -- the influence, perhaps, of guest concertmaster Jun Mi Ya. In the fugato passage of the Fifth Symphony’s third movement, the celli, double-basses and violas spat out their rapid-fire runs with delicious fury. The horns and trombones did top-notch work in the Fifth, which also occasioned a splendidly shaped solo by oboist Hideaki Okada. Hye Sung Choe, who served as the orchestra’s principal flute for the 2008-09 season, returned as a substitute for this concert and poured out rich, very beautiful sound in the Fourth and Fifth.
The series continues on Jan. 27 and 28 with the Sixth and Seventh symphonies. The Eighth and Ninth follow on Feb. 10 and 11.
Mike Greenberg
