The Los Angeles Philharmonic’s “Casual Fridays” are a commendable initiative that brings audiences closer to the music and musicians in a less formal environment. The performers dress down for the occasion, throw in a dialogue with the audience and make themselves available at a drinks reception after the concert. To add a touch of intimacy, a member of the orchestra prefaces the music with some personal remarks. On Friday, principal trumpet Thomas Hooten described his recruitment into “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in Washington, D.C. and subsequent career with the Atlanta and Indianapolis Symphonies before arriving in Los Angeles. Presumably to keep the evening to a manageable length, an item on the Saturday and Sunday programme – Wojieck Kilar’s Krzesany – was omitted from the performance on Friday. Fortunately, this was the only disappointment of the evening.
With his reputation built almost exclusively on works for solo piano, Chopin has endured criticism for poor orchestration in two concertos quite disproportionate to their importance in his output. Yet even as an adjunct to the soloist’s exhibition, the orchestra in these works has plenty of room to make a difference. This was not lost on conductor Krzysztof Urbański. Under his baton in the Piano Concerto no. 2, the LA Phil produced a sound that was crisp and lush at the same time, much like freshly plucked flowers on a nippy morning. The orchestral introduction to the first movement contained a fine balance of expressive colours between the chirpy woodwinds and verdant strings. Despite the dominance of the soloist throughout the work, the orchestra fully grasped the subtleties of its role as “royal consort”, as it were. The bassoon and horns provided sporadic counterbalances to the piano, and tremolo strings were a reliable safety net for the undulating solo.
Georgian pianist Khatia Buniatishvili was fluid and smooth as silk in her delivery of the solo part, refined and delectable in every detail. Meticulously shaping the contours of each melodic line, she never lost sight of the unity of the whole or flaunted virtuosity for its own sake. Restrained and introspective in the slow movement, she gave it just the right touch of wistfulness without an overdose of romanticism. If it is true that the movement was inspired by Chopin’s undeclared love for fellow student and soprano Konstancja Gladkowska, she did full justice to his intentions. Youthful and bouncy in the mazurka of the final movement, she was refreshing rather than frenetic.