This week the legendary Svetlanov Orchestra took to the stage for its 75th Anniversary Concert - with new MD Vladimir Jurowsky at the helm.
Program:
Stravinsky - The Firebird (Suite from the ballet)
Chausson - Poème for violin and orchestra Op 25
Ravel - The Gypsy Girl for violin and orch
interval
Rachmaninov - Symphonic Dances Op 45The Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire
Solo Violin - Julia FisherThe two big Russian works provided maestro Jurowsky ample opportunity to show the credentials of the Svetlanov Orchestra - the "bionic brass" were to the fore in the Stravinsky. Russian orchestras always excel in the string sections, but the wind playing can vary from acceptable to downright awful. Despite many years of neglect under Gorenstein's woeful reign, the wind players proved that they've kept their powder dry meantime, and played exceptionally well.
Personally I found the Chausson unrewarding material. Fisher played well technically, but somehow the performance failed to transcend the everyday. The Ravel was better, but I would have preferred a far more willful and quasi-improvisatory approach in the big opening solo.
A packed hall (extra seats laid down every available aisle, and with people sitting on the balcony steps and standing at the back) clamoured for an encore - but Jurowsky famously never plays encores, and "sent them home wanting more". Moscow's premiere orchestra now at last has a conductor worthy of the podium - time will tell if Jurowsky can return the Svetlanov Orchestra to its glory days of the 1970s, and make it the world-beating orchestra it once was.
Meanwhile news reaches us that Jurowsky père - Mikhail Jurowsky - is to conduct the Bolshoi's revival of THE FIERY ANGEL in February. This can only be welcome news, after decades of second-raters beating time on Okhotny Ryad. M Jurowsky is MD in Berlin, but is flying in specially to conduct the work. With younger brother Dmitry Jurowsky now running the Russian Philharmonia (in addition to his duties as MD at the Antwerp Opera), it's looking increasingly like a Jurowsky royal flush in Moscow...
Gosudarstvenny Akademichesky Symphonichesky Orchestre - State Academic Symphony Orch