Houston Symphony Orchestra– 03/03/23

At Jones Hall this evening, Osmo Vänskä conducted the Houston Symphony in works by Lotta Wennäkoski, Antonín Dvořák, and Jean Sibelius. Violinist Tai Murray was soloist in Dvořák’s Violin Concerto. Former music director of the Minnesota Orchestra, Vänskä made his first concert appearance without a wheelchair following a near-fatal fall from a ladder three months ago that broke his right shoulder and shattered his hip. Through sheer determination and will-power he was able to shorten the recovery time. He walked onstage with a limp and conducted while seated.

The concert opened with Finnish composer Wennäkoski’s “Flounce”. In the program notes, she states she “was fascinated by the different meanings of the English word flounce–both the verb and the noun.” The noun refers to lace-like ornamenting on a garment or curtains. The verb means to move in a lively or bouncy manner. Both aspects were covered in the 5-minute piece. Much of the orchestration included multiple string divisis (divided parts within a section) that created a soft obscure background effect. This contrasted with more emphatic wind and brass parts that represented moving in exaggerated jerky motions or with sudden determination. As with so many new works, the listener may admire the construction but without much emotion. It is similar to viewing the Bank of America Center building across the street from Jones Hall.

Violinist Tai Murray chose to wear a mask during her performance. She was the sole person on stage to do so. She is an accomplished violinist with a flair for performance. Several times she would complete a passage, turn out and look at the audience, as if to say “What about that?” She did so even when some very high climactic notes failed to speak audibly. Despite her free use of the bow and lovely vibrato, Murray did not consistently project above the orchestra. It sounded as if her 1765 Balestrieri violin was not responding as it should. Her tone seemed geared more to chamber music than a concerto with orchestra. Part of the problem was the orchestral balance, as heard from the box seats.  The winds played beautifully but were simply too loud for the soloist. Vänskä directed phrasing diminuendos but rarely motioned for less. While the orchestral tuttis were adroit and stylish, I look forward to hearing this soloist again under more favorable conditions.

The Minnesota Orchestra with Vänskä made a Grammy Award winning recording of Sibelius’ First Symphony. Vänskä has recorded all the Sibelius symphonies and is intimately familiar with his fellow countryman’s work. He brought that knowledge and mature conducting skill to Houston, providing a performance that was colorful and electrifying. The extensive opening clarinet solo set the standard. Vänskä cued the soft timpani roll at the beginning and then stopped conducting, giving total artistic freedom to clarinet Mark Nuccio. He has a Crayola box full of colors, and his gradations of soft dynamics left the audience spellbound. Vänskä paced the freely structured first movement to make changes of musical landscape and motifs seamless. The foggy development section cleared to allow a songful melody to appear in the strings. This cantabile approach carried through to the second movement, where the entire string section was giving their all to meet Vänskä’s expressive requests. The third movement exploded with the timpani and proceeded unrelentingly to its conclusion. At a tempo faster than what is usually heard, but close to the composer’s indication, it held together at times by a thread. The Finale featured clarion brass, highlighted by French horn and trumpet solos, played to perfection by William VerMeulen and Mark Hughes. The entire orchestra was inspired and played to stunning effect. Like a Stradivarius, the Houston Symphony responds to good input. That was provided by the esteemed Osmo Vänskä. This is not to be missed.