Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Led by Maestro Bychkov, the NY PHILHARMONIC plays a satisfying program comprised of Strauss, Dessner, and Rachmaninoff

• By drediman
• December 1, 2023
• No Comments

This week for three performances at David Geffen Hall, the New York Philharmonic welcomed conductor Semyon Bychkov to lead the orchestra in playing a program comprised of two lushly orchestral warhorses from the classical music canon and a New York premiere by an indie rock artist (hint: he’s a musician from The National). But what on paper seemed like an odd programming choices turned out to be richly satisfying in concert.

The program began with Richard Strauss’s breakthrough tone poem Don Juan. Despite being composed relatively early in the composer’s celebrated career, the piece’s vivid orchestral color nonetheless bears Strauss’s distinctive mark. Happily, the New York forces sounded alive and present as they sonically painted the life and exploits of the work’s famous subject.

With imaginations ablaze from the Strauss, audiences took a fascinating turn with Bryce Dessner’s Concerto for Two Pianos featuring the sibling duo of Katia and Marielle Labèque on keys. Although a certain pop sensibility weaved in and out of the work’s dissonances, the Labèque sisters were able to carve wondrous sounds from what could have easily been meaningless platitudes. Ultimately, the piece glimmered under the great care that was bestowed upon it.

The piece concluded with Rachmaninoff’s well-known Symphonic Dances. Here, maestro Bychkov shined most brightly, drawing a commanding reading from the Philharmonic, who played with confidence and well-judged intuition. The result was a balanced rendition that beckoned listeners into the music rather than bombarding them with trivial sound.

RECOMMENDED

NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC
Classical Music
David Geffen Hall
Approximately 2 hours (with one intermission)
Through December 2