This program by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, under the direction of Music Director JoAnn Falletta, included four contrasting pieces spanning a period of nearly 300 years. The curtain-raiser was Saratoga, written in 2005 by the Iranian-born American composer Behzad Ranjbaran. Described as a “festive fanfare”, this short work was commissioned for the 40th anniversary of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s summer home in Saratoga, New York. It’s a thrilling pièce d’occasion that commemorates the American victory at the Battle of Saratoga during the war for US independence. It was given a forceful performance in which Falletta allowed the famous Buffalo brass to shine. But the work is more than a celebratory piece; it opened with a simple hymn-like theme, leading to some really ferocious “battle music” before the hymn melody, somewhat altered, returned triumphant.
Sergei Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto no. 1 in D major is an early work, composed in 1917 but not premiered until 1923 (in Paris). It’s an interesting piece in that it has much Romantic flavor, while also possessing a biting, sardonic character that’s more akin to Prokofiev’s mature style. Canadian violinist Timothy Chooi’s solo playing was robust, his sound rising over the orchestra such that every note and phrase could be heard. The opening Andantino was presented with great lyricism, leading to an agitated middle section. The final bars of this movement, which can sound somewhat rhetorical in the hands of some soloists, were navigated here with aplomb. The Scherzo was replete with brilliant pyrotechnics, which made the final movement Moderato seem all the more poetic by contrast. More than just poetic, it was magical.
Following the Prokofiev, Chooi returned to the stage joined by his brother, BPO concertmaster Nikki Chooi, to present Bach’s Double Violin Concerto in D minor, BWV1043. One of Bach’s most famous works, the concerto is also well-known in a later arrangement for two harpsichords. The soloists took the outer movements at a near-breakneck speed – clearly a nod to contemporary practice regarding HIP interpretation. Some of Bach’s musical passages lost a measure of their impact because they flew by so quickly. There were no such issues with the soulful Largo, where the expressive melody was given a full-bodied, almost Romantic interpretation – and it worked well. Throughout the performance, balances between the two solo violins were finely calibrated. The ensemble was led by Nikki Chooi from the violin. Notably, the sound was chamber-like, rather than “slimmed-down big orchestra”.
The brothers returned to present their own duo arrangement of Vittorio Monti’s Csárdás: super-charged excitement, complete with a gypsy version of the Rebel yell.
The final offering of the evening was Brahms' Serenade no. 2 in A major. With its five uncomplicated movements and unusual instrumentation that omits violins, (nearly all) the brass and percussion, the serenade can’t hold a candle to the symphonies that would come later. Even so, this early Brahms has much to recommend it and it also possesses the same “sound” that we encounter in his symphonies and other big works. Falletta led the BPO in a burnished, mellow performance while also delivering notable rhythmic vigor in the Scherzo and Rondo. Woodwinds were on-point throughout in terms of their precision and blending. This serenade doesn’t get all that much play in the concert hall. Indeed, this was its first time performed by the Buffalo Philharmonic, so a particularly welcome treat for everyone.
