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BSO, Graf perform an ode to Beethoven
By Keith Powers/ Music review
Monday, August 30, 2004The Boston Symphony Orchestra capped off its Tanglewood summer camp yesterday afternoon in the Shed with its traditional closer, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, conducted by Hans Graf.
There is no more exhilarating adventure in classical music than Beethoven's Ninth. Ambitious and ungainly, it has intentions only a Beethoven could dream of and only he could dream of achieving. Its form is no form: The first movement starts with the gentlest of tones, yet in just a few measures unleashes a furious crescendo. Only the slow movement has anything resembling classical proportions. The finale, beginning famously with hints of the three previous movements, which are summarily rejected in Beethoven's stern rejoinder, ``Not these tones,'' contains some bumptious carnival music.
That said, the Ninth always makes for a special concert.This performance was no different, although hardly without flaws, like the piece itself. The first movement had some uncharacteristic laxness: the strings were out of sync, the horns - normally a strong suit - sounded out some poor tone colors. For his part, Graf seemed almost disengaged - occasionally standing stock still, staring at the sections, offering no tempo definition whatsoever.
But the performance gathered momentum. The second movement is a curious affair full of rash tempo changes, but was nicely turned. The slow movement sounded gorgeous. And by the time the chorus and soloists stood to sing, we were ready to obey Beethoven's uplifting injunction to ``Be embraced, ye Millions.''
Although the score calls for four soloists, only the tenor and bass parts are developed, and the gals only get to sing as part of the quartet. The guys were good: Gordon Gietz, a classic heroic tenor, and Raymond Aceto, a lyric bass. The chorus gets the star turn, and the loudest ovations went to John Oliver's Tanglewood Festival Chorus, which seems to be doing the impossible - getting better. Mezzo soloist Mary Phillips couldn't help herself and sang along with the chorus in some sections, and all the soloists were beaming at the power and touch Oliver's gang displayed.
( The Boston Symphony Orchestra, Hans Graf conducting, yesterday afternoon in the Shed at Tanglewood. )
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