Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – The New York Philharmonic responds radiantly to Simone Young, who conducts Britten, Elgar, and Dean

• By drediman
• January 31, 2020
• No Comments

Simone Young conducts the New York Philharmonic at the David Geffen Hall. Photo by Caitlin Ochs.

This week saw Simone Young return to lead the New York Philharmonic for the first time in more than two decades. The talented Australian conductor, who was recently named Music Director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, led an exceptional program at the David Geffen Hall that included Benjamin Britten’s “Four Sea Interludes”, the New York premiere of a new Cello Concerto by Australian composer Brett Dean, and Edward Elgar’s “Enigma Variations”.

Throughout the evening, despite a deceptively conservative presence on the podium, the New York forces responded radiantly to Ms. Young’s conducting. The program began with a splendid rendition of the evocative “Four Sea Interludes” from perhaps Britten’s most well-known opera Peter Grimes. The performance was beautifully-balanced and showed a mature understanding of the piece as whole. The other familiar work on the bill was Elgar’s “Enigma Variations”, which concluded the program. I’ve seldom heard the New York Philharmonic’s strings section sound as rich as they did here. The final variation, in particular, I found ravishing.

It’s a rare occasion when a new work completely captivates me, which was the case with Mr. Dean’s Cello Concerto, which was sandwiched between the two aforementioned pieces. The performance featured sensational playing by soloist Alban Gerhardt, who also involved in the piece’s world premiere with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, as well as the American premiere with the Minnesota Orchestra. The single-movement concerto isn’t an easy piece, with its knotty passages and array of unconventional sounds. But Mr. Dean’s work oozes character and possesses a brash, almost cinematic sensibility that beguiled me.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC
Classical Music
David Geffen Hall
1 hour, 50 minutes (with one intermission)
Ms. Young conducts through February 1