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Music is a better world
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| David Zinman delivered romantic music at break-neck tempo Berliner Morgenpost, 3.11.05 A programme of Beethoven and Schumann, a lovely and one would think natural partnership, was given to us by the Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra at the Philharmonie. And yet whole worlds lie between these two composers. Beethoven's overture "Consecration of the House" is entirely music of the revolution, punctuated powerfully with percussion and communicated in a concise military style. Schumann's 2nd Symphony is as far from this as it's possible to get, although it was written only 20 years after the "Consecration of the House" and claimed to have used Beethoven as a model. The chronology becomes even more distorted if one puts these works in conjunction with Beethoven's 2nd Piano Concerto: here we have a hint of the rococo, and Yefim Bronfman interpreted the Bflat major Concerto quite appropriately in the spirit of Mozart. His playing was pure restraint. Only once, in the cadenza of the first movement, did he allow himeself a more vigorous bass chord, while the rest was tenderly and intricately phrased. The Adagio was given a romantic reserved intimacy, which was almost devoured by the stillness. Bronfman is widely known as a lyricist of the piano. Last season he was often to be heard in his role as orchestral "Pianist in Residence". David Zinman, Chief Conductor of the Swiss orchestra for 10 years now, is also often in Berlin. On this occasion he was competing with himself, since two weeks ago he gave a performance of the "Rhenish Symphony" with the Berlin Philharmonic. The Second Symphony was performed purposefully, but also with real style. Robert Schumann occasionally became Michael Schumacher. By moving closer to Beethoven the blossoming, sighing string sound had to be sacrificed, and the romantic phrases radically shortened. This didn't suit the adagio well in particular. However, this tight and captivatingly transparent Schumann was rewarded with loud cheering. |
