Returning to Carnegie Hall for the first in their annual series of three consecutive programs, the Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Riccardo Muti, a frequent collaborator since 1971, delivered emotionally charged accounts of Schubert and Bruckner, ideal repertoire for the orchestra’s sumptuous sound, especially when led by Muti, whose dynamic and impassioned approach so ably draws out the majesty and the depth of the music.
The evening opened with Franz Schubert’s “Tragic” Fourth Symphony, written in 1816 when the composer was only 19 years old, but not performed in public until 21 years after his death. With his animated and vigorous conducting style, Muti elicited a fresh and robustly spirited account. The first movement immediately established a sense of melancholic drama with the slow Adagio molto introduction, modeled after Haydn’s overture to his oratorio The Creation, darkly mysterious before an elegant and polished Allegro. The standout movement, the sublimely melodious Andante, was warmly played and deeply expressive, with the oboe and clarinet solos tenderly rendered and the interplay between the woodwinds and the strings weaving a lush tapestry of sound. In the Menuetto an intriguing combination of the elegant and the slightly melancholic intensified the tragic nature of the symphony as a whole. Overall, this was a compelling performance that perfectly captured the work’s youthful exuberance and dramatic tension.
An immediate triumph at its 1884 Leipzig premiere, Anton Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony, his first real success, has enjoyed a popularity among his symphonic works matched only by that of his Fourth. The work is particularly appealing due to its abundant lyricism, richly complex soundscapes, sense of grandeur and deeply romantic character. Muti brought out all these qualities in a performance as thrilling in its exquisitely delicate passages as it was its grandest moments. The choice of tempo in the opening Allegro moderato, beginning with the expansive, mysterious melody played by the cellos and solo horn, contributed a sense of breadth and flow that set the stage for the sonorous and spiritual journey that followed.
An especially nuanced reading of the heavenly Adagio, full of subtle changes in dynamics, conveyed a strong, contemplative feeling. The exquisite interplay of the woodwind principals was a highlight, while the mellow and mysterious sound of the four Wagner tubas heightened the emotional impact. In the ensuing Scherzo, delivered with pep and panache, the solo trumpet excelled. Despite the complexity of Bruckner’s scoring, Muti, with his masterful control of dynamics and phrasing, seamlessly navigated the soundscape of the finale, creating a natural, flowing account that allowed the full grandeur of the music to shine through.
