A RIVETING STRAVINSKY CONCERTO FROM LEILA JOSEFOWICZ

Leila Josefowicz (violin), Vancouver Symphony Orchestra/ Otto Tausk (conductor): Music of Stravinsky and Prokofiev, Orpheum Theatre, November 29, 2024.

Any appearance of Canadian-born violinist Leila Josefowicz is an occasion, since she can execute, and bring to life, so many difficult modern pieces that have other violinists recoiling in fear. Last time, it was the Philip Glass Violin Concerto; this concert, it was one of her go-to pieces, the Stravinsky Violin Concerto. The violinist gave a performance of disarming technical precision, delivered with gusto, and remarkable in its line and intensity. It would be most appreciated by those who see Stravinsky as a truly modernist composer; others might prefer something more relaxed. Otto Tausk and the orchestra served up a fine complement: Prokofiev’s evergreen ‘Classical’ Symphony and the composer’s final Symphony No. 7. The former unfortunately lacked sparkle, but the softer, balletic approach to the latter worked convincingly.

Josefowicz always brings great energy and stage presence with her, and that was certainly true here. The opening Toccata of the Violin Concerto was literally propelled out of the gate, with the feeling of a coiled tiger. The focus was on drive and momentum, though it was remarkable how many little wisps of detail she picked up on the way. Her lean tone delivered superbly clean execution throughout, with whiplash sforzandi, and rhythmic thrusts delivered with an almost Glassian insistence. While quick and always highly projected, one offshoot was the degree of structural integration she achieved. Aria I was also played quite dramatically; the softer moments come in the Aria II, which starts from that wonderfully enigmatic orchestral chord. This movement featured Josefowicz’s most refined textures, with a very careful etching of the lyrical lines and admirable control at soft volumes. A nice contrast, though I admit that I did not think her lyricism expanded that much, nor did I find very much tenderness or sense of mystery. The closing Capriccio tended back to the earlier style, featuring stunning address, bravura and perhaps a touch of the manic from the violinist.

This was formidable, high intensity violin playing and any audience (such as the current one) could only be taken in by its visceral presence. My companion at this concert, however, found it ‘a bit unrelenting’. So, what might be some of the problems? First, while the orchestra put in their best efforts to keep up with the soloist, their response was a bit too slow and bulky to allow Stravinsky’s (chamber music) interactions between the violin and sections of the orchestra to come out transparently. Second, the reading was often too fast and linear to capture the composer’s distinctive Neoclassical jog-trot, or find its vertical contrasts, caprice and rustic colour. In fact, this performance rather ran over this dimension. Where was the ‘human’ element so distinctively captured in the classic Stern, Oistrakh, Grumiaux and Perlman readings? Well, there wasn’t much: this performance almost seemed to dampen that element, perhaps to modernize the work.

Overall, there is no doubt that Josefowicz’s performance provided a real experience, and I’m glad I saw it. I defer to the composer’s own words in making a judgement: “…virtuosity for its own sake has only a small role in my Concerto, and the technical demands of the piece are relatively tame.” (Stravinsky and Craft, 1963). Of younger contemporary violinists, I would likely choose the more emotionally varied and characterful approach of the estimable Baiba Skride over the current one.

Prokofiev always mixes well with Stravinsky, and having performances of two of the former’s symphonies were something to look forward to. Otto Tausk’s opening ‘Classical’ Symphony, however, did not leave much of a mark, being too studied and sober in the opening Allegro, and lacking colour and sensuality in the two middle movements. The effervescence of the finale was better caught, but still did not present with the sparkle and joy that it should.

Symphony No.7 was much better. The Russians have always highlighted the steel and pugnaciousness in Prokofiev’s orchestral scoring but, as the work is the composer’s swan-song, written a year before his death, there is room for the softer, more moderate approach that Otto Tausk took. No one would pretend that this symphony has the weight and stature of Symphonies 5 and 6. The conductor’s opening Moderato understandably gave primacy to the continuous interplay of the soaring bittersweet string lines, while the middle movements were relatively light and balletic, making transparent the link to the composer’s famous ballet Cinderella. The finale had a fine sense of frothiness in it, starting from the ‘big tune’ that had plenty of energy, working through its melodic lines, and finishing with quiet Cinderella allusions. Perhaps this performance was still a little too pretty and manicured to capture the truculent nature of the composer, but I still thought it worked relatively well as a coherent whole, albeit as a more positive statement. The orchestral playing was nicely assured.

© Geoffrey Newman 2024

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