At the double: Igor Levit joins New York Phil principals in an evening of concertos

Close before completing his tenure as Music Director of the New York Philharmonic, Jaap van Zweden invited several of the ensemble’s principals to perform as soloists, along with pianist Igor Levit, in three concert pieces for multiple instruments. Given the years of shared experience between the soloists, conductor and orchestra, I anticipated a gratifying evening, albeit one with few surprises.

Levit left his own distinctive mark on his rendition of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto no. 1 for piano, trumpet and string orchestra, enveloping the emotionally ambivalent work in an additional layer of detached irony. He forged unforeseen connections, highlighted the numerous musical quotations, accentuated the sarcasm in certain passages, and captured the eerie atmosphere of others, all while effortlessly shifting from amazingly rapid fingerwork to lyrical phrasing in the blink of an eye.

Initially intending to compose a concerto for trumpet, Shostakovich later added a piano, transforming the piece into a double concerto, with the piano eventually taking center-stage. The trumpet's “comments” however, add distinctive character to a score brimming with whimsy and satire, at times resembling the accompaniment to a slapstick silent movie. Supported by the reduced-size string orchestra, Levit and trumpeter Christopher Martin demonstrated a clear understanding of each other’s intentions, from the trumpet’s ironic interjections punctuating the first movement, to the almost Mahlerian wistful duet in the second movement, to the unbridled energy of the final gallop.

Sheryl Staples and Cynthia Phelps have a longstanding history as soloists together in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola. They've performed it with the New York Philharmonic under the baton of van Zweden in 2014 and, even earlier in 2002, with Sir Colin Davis. Their accord was faultless both in the coordinated sections and during their dialogues, where Mozart’s superb melodic lines are introduced by the solo violin and then taken over by the viola, blending subtlety and robustness. Nonetheless, despite their well-matched efforts, the sound balance here was not ideal. While the violin’s elegant and delicate voice soared above the orchestral sound, the viola’s was often muffled and, at points, barely audible, even in the clear acoustics of the Wu Tsai Theater. Once again, as in many instances in the past, van Zweden's always precise directions failed to elicit more than indifferent playing from the ensemble in this masterpiece, which wonderfully balances buoyancy and melancholy. 

While the soloists’ sound projected effectively over the orchestra in Brahms’s Double Concerto in A minor for Violin and Cello, concertmaster Frank Huang’s more restrained interpretation did not always align well with Carter Brey’s more effusive cello playing. Even if there were no apparent technical issues, Brahms’ last orchestral work requires a level of consensus between soloists that is not only rhythmic and dynamic but also involves a shared artistic vision, balancing Romantic and Classical traits. If van Zweden had his own interpretative ideas, those were not exactly clear. That is not to say that there weren’t moments of beauty both in the introspective Andante and in the energetic Finale. Meanwhile, the larger orchestra, as the third equally important participant in the musical conversation, sounded much more committed than in the Mozart.