Despite being based in Columbus, nearly half of ProMusica Chamber Orchestra’s 37 members reside outside of Ohio, a diverse collective of talents that coalesces for routinely innovative programming. Under the baton of David Danzmayr, who has helmed the ensemble since 2013, last weekend’s program engaged a first-rate soloist in Garrick Ohlsson for a Beethoven centerpiece, flanked by less familiar scores which proved to be rewarding discoveries.
A native of Lexington, Kentucky, who later settled in Akron, Ohio, Julia Perry was a major talent. Her studies took her to Tanglewood, Juilliard and Paris where she was a student of Nadia Boulanger, developing an uncompromisingly modernist voice. Though her body of work has long fallen into obscurity, there seems to be at least the beginning of an overdue resurgence of interest (she featured prominently on a recent New York Philharmonic program). A Short Piece for Small Orchestra dates from 1952, and its strident beginnings sounded somewhat in the manner of Prokofiev. The full ensemble was utilized initially, later distilled to soloists passing around germs of thematic ideas. Despite the two diminutives in the title, it’s a complex, bracing score, given a convincing reading that culminated in a punchy ending.
Contravening tradition, Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto starts with the piano alone, a device that continues to make for the most striking of openings — and even more so given the resonant, probing tone Ohlsson drew from the instrument. The ensemble responded with equally supple playing, articulating a long introductory paragraph ahead of a lively dialogue between piano and orchestra. I did find the piano to sound somewhat unnervingly bright and crystalline in a way that clashed with the subtle, introspective nature of the work, but what made the strongest impression was Ohlsson’s leonine technique. The pianist effortlessly sailed through its demands, especially in the cadenza wherein a rapturous lyricism built to a climax of orchestral heft.
The dialogue took an entirely different shape in the Andante con moto, with bell-like voicing in the piano answering rough-hewn rhetorical gestures in the strings. All profundities were quickly disbanded in the closing Rondo, however, as playful and jovial as anything. Since capturing first prize in the Chopin Competition over half a century ago, Ohlsson has been deeply associated with the Pole, making the Waltz in C sharp minor all the more of a choice encore. I was especially struck by the way he varied the voicing in each successive iteration of its themes.
Though overshadowed by the composer’s later, greater efforts, Schubert’s Symphony no. 2 in B flat major is an attractive work in its own right. Having presented a complete Schubert symphony cycle earlier in Danzmayr’s tenure, ProMusica is well-versed in the repertoire and proved a strong advocate for this early work from the teenage composer. A fleet theme was given with airy abandon, remarkably joyous for Schubert – it’s hard to believe that the darkness of Winterreise or the late piano sonatas and string quartets was only a decade away. Matters were rapidly paced without obscuring the details, evidencing the work’s intricate craftsmanship.
The Andante was cast in variations, with the theme gracious and songful. The subsequent variations explored different instrumentations, in particular giving emphasis to the low strings and horns. A vigorous Menuetto followed, with its calmer trio spotlighting the principal winds. Tension was keenly built in the finale to close this polished performance in the highest of spirits.
