Last Saturday night wasan all Rachmaninoff program, maybe too much in one concert, but the performancewas memorable. It was fascinating to hear a technical conductor like de Waartapplying clarity to a long-lined romantic work such as Symphony No. 2. Themelancholy built into the score and the sense of phrase so cardinal to itemerged fully, but without added-baggage sentimentality. The clear-eyed paceand shape made the few deliberately chosen peaks sky high. It was interestingto see de Waart put down the baton to lead the third movement Adagio with hishands, an appropriate touch of human warmth. Todd Levy’s clarinet solo wascaptivating in this movement, as were the short and long phrases of theviolins.
Joyce Yang, a23-year-old Korean pianist, is making quite a name for herself, working withtop conductors after bursting onto the professional scene at the Van CliburnInternational Competition in 2005. Her performance of Rachmaninoff Concerto No.3 explained why. She is an enormously talented musician with unusuallyformidable technique and personal charisma. Her every instinct with the musicwas genuine and exciting. The second solo piano section of the first movementof this concerto is where a pianist dazzles or doesn’t. Yang dazzled. Theconcerto only lacked the one thing she could not give it: physical strengththat can make the piano roar when called for. It’s quite simply a piece builtfor a larger person. Nevertheless, the performance was a wonder.
