NY Philharmonic Summertime Classics 2009 Begins

Last night, members of the NY Philharmonic and others performed the first in a series of four programs collectively presented under the title Summertime Classics. Each of the programs is presented at least twice, some three times, all under the direction of Bramwell Tovey, a British conductor and composer who has been leading these programs since they began in 2004, intended to fill a gap in the orchestra's schedule between the end of its regular subscription series and the beginning of its summer travels and vacation interludes.   I say "members of the NY Philharmonic" because it is not unusual to see some relatively unfamiliar faces on stage, as many of the principals are off elsewhere, resulting in second and third chair people getting their day in the sun and regular replacements and temporary subs showing up in profusion.  (Indeed, last year I was rather indignant at the proportion of the ensemble on stage who were not really members of the NY Philharmonic, but I'm a realist - these concerts would not be economically viable at the prices on offer with the usual contingent of the full orchestra.)

The idea behind this series, I had thought, was to provide a few weeks of high quality light classical entertainment for the first few weeks of the summer.  One of the things I particularly liked about the earlier Summertime Classics series was the inclusion of novelties - audience-friendly pieces that tend not to show up on a regular season programs - and the occasional premiere.  Well, perhaps the NY audience is just not adventurous enough where novelties are concerned, because there are none this year, presumably reflecting a judgment that ticket sales last year weren't where they should be.   So no it's pretty much all hard-core standard repertory, some of it lighter and more likely to be found on pops concerts, but nothing in these four programs that could be called a novelty.  Indeed, the first program, titled "Russian Fest" is so relentlessly mainstream that EVERY PIECE ON THE PROGRAM HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY PLAYED BY THE ORCHESTRA DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS.  (Yes, I intended the on-line effect of screaming by using capital letters.)  This might as well just be a two week extension of the regular season, but with fewer rehearsals and a slightly lower quality orchestra.

And so, when Mr. Tovey addressed the audience after playing the first piece, Tchaikovsky's Polonaise from Act II of Eugene Onegin, introduced himself, spun out his usual shtick of razzing the latecomers who were being seated, and gestured to the orchestra, which he referred to as "the great New York Philharmonic", I immediately thought, "Yeah...???"  I suppose of the NY Philharmonic engages a particular sub or replacement to play a concert, it nonetheless remains the NY Philharmonic... but...

With so many subs and ringers on the stage, you don't get the same quality of playing that the brand name "New York Philharmonic" normally signifies.  Don't get me wrong.  Last night's concert was well-played, they would not hire unqualified people for this gig, but it lacked the high polish, the high finish, the precision and the excellent balances and distinctive solo playing (with some exceptions, of course) that one normally enounters at the Philharmonic, honed by seasons of playing together week in and week out.  Less rehearsal than they normally have for a concert program may enter into it as well, of course, since they are preparing the equivalent of about 1-2/3 concert programs per week instead of one.  (The normal concert in the regular season runs, with intermission, about 2 hours and 15 minutes these days.  These concerts tend to run 1 hour and 45 with pre-programmed encore included and some verbal commentary from the podium eating into the playing time.)

Each program features at least one guest soloist.  Last night we had Vladimir Feltsman playing Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.  I think he was still settling into the notes and the collaboration last night, as things were not as tight as one would expect them during the regular season. Feltsman is a pro - I've heard him play this piece to better effect in the past - but the performance reflected the casual nature of the series.  By Thursday night's performance (this program gets played thrice), things should be ship-shape, I would predict.  It was not a bad performance by any means, just a bit loose, and orchestral balances with the piano less fine-tuned than one might hope for.

After intermission, I noticed that Stanley Drucker was sitting in the principal clarinet chair, a pleasant surprise, since I assumed his retirement was effective at the end of the regular season.  Maybe he's just playing an extra gig?  At any rate, that upped the ante on the clarinet solos in the remaining pieces, three dances from Khachaturian's Gayane Ballet, and Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Overture.  Drucker sounded great, as always, and the entire orchestra sounded more engaged and "together" in this half of the program, although I could have used more intensity in R&J.  The encore was a less-than-whiplash rendition of the Trepak from Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, which I believe we heard as an encore on this series last year as well...

I've been a Tovey fan for many years, but I thought he was in less than splendid form last night.  Maybe it's just that it takes a few more days to jell after a year's absence, especially with a fair number of subs and ringers in the orchestra.  I look forward to Friday night, by which time they should be old pals and firing on all cylinders.  Also, they tend to be "up" for the 4th of July program, full of Gershwin and Sousa.  I'm eager to hear what the extraordinary Canadian pianist, Marc-Andre Hamelin, has to say in Gershwin.  And perhaps by Friday Tovey will have revved up his patter a bit, which was kind of flat last night.

Comments

[caprice]

Drucker will be with orchestra until the end of the month--which means his last performance with the New York Philharmonic will be in Colorado, of all places.