Tchaikovsky's Symphony no. 4 in F minor could easily be classified as a warhorse, although I note that Bachtrack has published fewer reviews of this symphony than either the Fifth or Sixth. Sergei Taneyev's critique of the work claimed that it was a “symphonic poem with additional movements attached to justify it being called a symphony", but JoAnn Falletta and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra steered clear of this characterization in a first movement that delivered successive waves of emotion without going overboard on the melodrama.
In the second movement Andantino, the opening melancholy passage by oboist Henry Ward was exquisitely rendered; indeed, all of the woodwinds acquitted themselves magnificently. The Scherzo that followed was the most tightly controlled performance of this movement I’ve ever heard, with winds and pizzicato strings playing with flawless precision. As for the final Allegro con fuoco, its robust vigor was terrifically exciting, leading to an exhilarating coda.
The second major piece on the program was the Piano Concerto by Adolphus Hailstork. Composed in 1992, it is agreeably modern in its idiom. Pianist Stewart Goodyear, who learned the piece for these concerts, delivered a big-boned interpretation that hit all the right notes – literally as well as figuratively. The concerto begins with a theme played in simple unison on the piano, which soon gives way to interplay with the orchestra, exhibiting hints of Poulenc or Stravinsky in terms of harmony and rhythms (although never sounding derivative). The development of the main musical ideas is rather complex, and the movement ends in novel fashion, including a sort of near cadenza by the piano.
The Adagio that follows is the longest of the concerto's three movements. It’s introspective at the outset, with hushed piano interspersed with the strings. Midway through the movement the mood changes and the music becomes more agitated, with the piano's passages taken up by the orchestra before subsiding to a calm conclusion. Goodyear conveyed all the poetry and ardor inherent in the music, treating the movement as a kind of stream-of-consciousness rhapsody. To my ears, it was the emotional high point of the work.
The final movement also begins quietly but soon erupts in an agitated Vivace, punctuated by xylophone and other percussion. The piano enters with a flourish, with Goodyear's fingers flying up and down the keyboard. Here as well, rhythmic verve was on display, with syncopated punctuations delivered by piano, winds and percussion. The whole thing was a tour de force in which Goodyear, Falletta and the BPO delivered musical fireworks galore.
Goodyear considers the Hailstork Piano Concerto to be perhaps the best American one written since Gershwin, and it’s easy to hear why. The piece succeeds on its own terms, and with a committed interpretation like this one was, I can't imagine better advocates than this team of musicians. Reportedly, the composer (who was present at this performance) is working on a new piano concerto to be premiered in 2023; it promises to be a welcome new addition to the repertoire.
Two shorter pieces opened the concert. Nimrod from Elgar’s Enigma Variations was played as a memorial tribute to the BPO’s recently deceased music librarian Patricia Kimball, who'd had a 36-year tenure at the orchestra. Enescu's Romanian Rhapsody no. 1 in A major is a repertory staple that's so viscerally thrilling, it almost plays itself. Falletta and the Buffalo musicians delivered just the right balance of melodic sweep and frenetic dance rhythms – all while keeping things completely classy.
