Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Susanna Mälkki leads the NY PHIL in an undaunted Ligeti Piano Concerto and a majestic “Pictures at an Exhibition”

• By drediman
• November 4, 2023
• No Comments

This week at at Lincoln Center, the in-demand Finnish conductor Susanna Mälkki returned to David Geffen Hall to lead the New York Philharmonic in a fascinating and musically satisfying program. As tasteful Eastern European appetizers, audiences were treated to a spirited solo performance on cimbalom (a beloved Hungarian instrument that somehow sounds like a mix of a xylophone and a harpsichord) of Liszt’s instantly recognizable Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, followed by a characterful rendition of Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances. Then we were off.

The first of the centerpieces was Ligeti’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. It’s a strange and chaotic piece, which both Mälkki and sensational pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimar relished, fully leaning in on its eccentricities – from its austerity to its complex, almost syncopated rhythms – and restless mood. With the intelligent and forward thinking Finnish conductor at the helm, the Philharmonic navigated the difficult composition undauntedly, resulting in a sort of glorious cacophony. Aimar in particular seemed fully attuned with the piece, playing with immense feeling and intuition. The program concluded with Musorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, a warhorse piece that seemed to sparkle anew in Mälkki’s majestic reading. Indeed, she brought out the vibrancy of work’s arrangements and orchestrations (courtesy of Ravel, that master of orchestral color) with thrilling force and expansiveness. Suffice to say, it was a thrilling conclusion to the bill.

The last time I attended a performance by the New York Philharmonic – playing under Latvian conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla, another female conductor of note (you can read my review of her debut with the Philharmonic here) – I raved about the quality of their playing. Under Mälkki, the New York forces continued to play with wonderful clarity and depth. Perhaps it’s partly due to the vastly improved post-renovation acoustics of the new David Geffen Hall. But beyond that, there seems to be a newfound confidence that’s reflected in the focus and lucidity of their recent performance.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC
Classical Music
David Geffen Hall
1 hour, 50 minutes (with one intermission)
Through November 4