No one has embraced the Ravel anniversary year as fervently as Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho. He released two albums of the composer’s music – one of the complete solo piano works, and another of the two piano concertos, recorded with the Boston Symphony. And Cho has been playing the entire solo oeuvre in recital, a superhuman three-hour performance. So it was disappointing to hear a lackluster treatment of Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major as part of the Czech Philharmonic’s season opener.
Cho’s deep knowledge of the piece was evident in his supple style, sensitive touch and measured pacing, giving the music a carefully delineated ebb and flow. He reveled in the rhythms, bouncing in time on the bench, snapped off dazzling runs and teased out traces of lyricism in the melodies. There was a relaxed virtuosity in his playing and a thoughtful delicacy in his solos, especially the one that opens the slow second movement.
Yet the hallmark of the piece is its brilliant amalgamation of other influences, in particular jazz, and its light, witty approach to a serious form, both of which were lacking. The music was flat in that sense – technically proficient and well-informed, but absent the sparkle and verve that would take it to the next level. To be fair, some of that flair may have been lost in the orchestral sound, which occasionally overwhelmed the piano. Conductor Semyon Bychkov crafted bright, spirited accompaniment, with notably colorful work from the woodwinds. But overall the performance sounded pedestrian rather than inspired, a straightforward reading that did not match the high caliber of talent onstage.
Much the same could be said about the second half of the concert, which featured a piece Bychkov knows well, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony no. 5 in E minor. Working without a score, he led a sweeping interpretation that emphasized the symphony’s darker elements, often with explosive force. His expertise was clear in the details and dynamics, the fine layering of overlapping melodies and expertly drawn surges and crescendos. And it’s hard to imagine any non-native conductor squeezing more pathos out of the piece than the Russian maestro elicited. This music runs in Bychkov’s blood.
Yet for all that the performance was not very engaging, feeling more like a rehearsal run-through than a dramatic emotional journey. In his seven seasons as the Czech Philharmonic’s Chief Conductor and Music Director, Bychkov has brought fire to the orchestra, particularly in his treatment of composers like Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich. And his recording of Tchaikovsky’s complete symphonies with the orchestra was very well-received, leading to residencies in Tokyo, Vienna and Paris. But this performance had a pro forma feel, a timeworn familiarity relieved mainly by fresh sounds from the horns, woodwinds and brass. The final movement took on some life with pounding percussion and brisk strings supporting towering brass, but by then it was a tantalizing taste of what had been missing.
All of which may add up to no more than a sluggish start to the new season, though it’s worth noting that the orchestra had an edge in two appearances the previous week at the Dvořák Prague Festival. In that sense it may be a victim of the high bar it has set, thanks in no small part to Bychkov, who is in his penultimate season with the Czech Philharmonic. Occasional off-nights notwithstanding, it’s been an impressive tenure that will ultimately leave a lasting legacy.
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