Wednesday, September 19,1990 — THE BULLETIN ~^ 11
VSO IN TRANSITION
By MICHAEL AJZENSTADT
During tKe past eight . months I have written extensively in these pages about Vancouver*s largest musical organization — the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. This series of articles began as the orchestra was searching for its new Music Director and it now concludes as VSO is about to open its first season under leadership of Sergiu Comissiona. Granted, the Romanian-born Jewish maestro will assume full responsibility over the VSO only next season, but there is no doubt that winds of change are already blowing.
The coming season, as this series noted, suffers from a lack of exciting musical talent, yet features, on the whole, more imaginative programming than in the past. In a way it is in complete contrast to the season just ended which featured some spellbinding musicians performing tried and true repertoire.
To conclude this VSO series, it is most appropriate to look back, but not in anger, at the previous season. If my calculations are correct, VSO has presented last year 25 major concerts as well as 24 concerts in series such as Pops, Cafe Royal, Kids, and so on. Out of the 25 major concerts (the opening gala, choral series, Masterworks and Symphonic Traditions), I attended 23 concerts and heard the orchestra perform 62 musical compositions. Out of the other 24 con-certsv I attended seven.
I am not sure how many music lovers in town heard as many VSO concerts last year. If there are any, they probably share some of my general feelings which stem from hearing the VSO at its best and at its worst.
The saddest aspect of last season is that not one concert stands in mind as a true winner. No, do not get me wrong. There were^some spectacular world class performances throughout the season. But there is a difference between a successful rendition of a particular concerto and a complete exciting concert.
Let me clarify with a few examples. Three violinists mesmerized the Orpheum last season, each with her or his particular sound. First came Viktoria MuUova with a breathtaking performance of the Shostakovich concerto. This was followed by Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg's ravishing playing of the Barber violin concerto and later by Nigel Kennedy*s electrifying reading of the Sibelius violin concerto. Each of these three performances could easily receive a musical award for its sheer musical power, innovation and the soioist^s charismatic appearance. _
But unfortunately all three performances were coupled with other compositions which did not, leaver positive impression. In the case of Mull ova and Kennedy, Peter McCoppin was far from inspiring on the podium, leading the orchestra without inspiration through the rest of the evening. And in the case of Salerno-Sonnenberg, maestro Karl-Anton Rickenbacher indeed opened the concert with a dignified Mozart, but then faltered with his reading of Schumann's fourth.
The lack of balanced pro-
grams works in an opposite way as well. Andrew Litton and Christof Perickare two of theLbest conductors who have ever worked with the VSO. They drew out of the orchestra some of its finest musical sounds in many years. But both had to perform with young violinists who left a lot to be desired. Perick is no doubt one of the world's leading orchestral conductors today. His Beethoven Leo-nore overture was a master^ piece of articulation. But Cori Cerovsek^- jserformance of
the Tchaikovsky violin concerto was a complete letdown.
And Litton, who at one time was in the race forA^SO music director, simply mesmerized the Orpheum and the orchestra~with his reading of Bartok's concerto for orchestra. Alas, his soloist Joshua Bell was not in the same league. It is, by the way, indicative of the coming season that Kennedy, Mullova, Salerno-Sonnenberg and Per-, ick are not returning to perform with the VSO. Now you see why I lament the lack of great musicians in the season about to begin.
EIGHTH IN A SERIES
season
And so among major con-_ certs in the past season, the best overall were under the baton of Kazuyoshi Akiyama, VSO beloved Conductor Lau-
reate. The concert Ma^l was no doubt the season's best. With a balanced program of Mozart, Paganiniand Richard Strauss, Akiyama-s elegant baton mastery led the orchestra to a highly refined performance of musical agility, warmth and charm. •
In the other, so called less serious but as important series, the VSO played without zest. Children's concerts treated the young audience as
ignorant; Tea & Trumpet concerts, with Otto Lowy, have nothing to do with what classical music is all about,'^ but at least they have a devoted following, >(rhich is ^ not the case with the main series.' ■ ..; .■ ^.
I have not written in these pages about VSO's summer series which I consider a bad joke in the way it was constructed or about the coming B.C. tour when the orchestra will perform in smaller communities under Kirk Mus-pratt's baton. It is common practice in the musical world that orchestras On tour perform with condjuctors who have a permanent position with the ensemble or at least those maestri who have worked for a lengthy period
with the orchestra. I believe Muspratt, witliout commenting on his musical ability, has conducted Only once with the VSO.
As the VSO is about to open what one hopes is a new age, the last comment I want to^ake regards the wealth of locaLmusical talent which the orchestra^simply^ ignores. Why does mezzo soprano Judith Forst not perform on an annual basis with the VSO? Why does Jane Coop, finest solo pianist in town, not appear every season? And VSO —Page 19
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