Moser's performancewas intriguing. I was interested to hear where he was headed, even if Idid not always agree with the destination. At times he played with a deep senseof phrase and drama, with crisp rhythm. He was a sincere reflection of themusic at his best. At other times I wondered about the core of his tone, which seemedto vary beyond deliberate coloristic choices. Some habits were off-putting, asin a fully extended arm on phrase-ending down-bows that distorted the music,and what I would describe as needlessly-calling-attention-to-extreme-effortplaying in the final movement. This kind of musical overacting rings as falseas a hammy actor chewing up the scenery. Krystof Pipal on horn and Todd Levy onclarinet both played with gorgeously rich tone in featured solos of thesecond movement.
Every couple ofyears I come to a symphony by Danish composer Carl Nielsen (1865-1931)with new discovery. Each time around the music falls right out of my head bythe time I encounter the composer again. Guest conductor Paul Daniel ledNielsen's Symphony No. 4 (“The Inextinguishable”), composed during World War Ias an affirmation of life. The piece does not conjure enough conflict to feeltriumphant. Daniel was good at giving it long-phrased shape. I questioned acouple of transitions, although I admit that this was an odd piece to get atake on a conductor. The concert began with the fascinating Sinfonietta by Scottish composer JamesMacMillan.
