Music director Jeffrey Kahane introduced Friday evening’s Colorado Symphony concert in Boettcher Concert Hall as a “rare and special occasion.” And so it proved to be.
To his considerable credit, the conductor has made it a priority to program worthy historical works that have never been performed by the orchestra.
He turned the spotlight in this concert on Béla Bartók’s “The Wooden Prince,” Op. 13, a one-act ballet that debuted in 1917. Not only has the symphony never tackled it, Kahane believes this was the first performance ever between St. Louis and Los Angeles.
As amazing as this piece is, such neglect is at least partially understandable. It requires augmented and unusual orchestral forces, such as two saxophones and four-handed celeste, not to mention musicians who play with considerable virtuosity.
Daunting for both the orchestra and listeners, it is a kind of unstoppable musical blockbuster with an idiosyncratic narrative structure that defies typical notions of build-up and release. But any off-putting elements are balanced by moments of exceptional beauty.
Bartók employs wonderfully imaginative orchestrations, such as a section with the oddly appealing mix of two contra-bassoons and the basses, cellos and violas tapping their bows on their strings.
Wondering how much this orchestra has improved in the last few years? The powerful, technically sophisticated performance of this ballet provided a telling measure. Perhaps most important was the sound itself – the improved brass, fine woodwinds and expressive strings.
Kahane once again showed his knack for large-scale pieces, injecting a palpable electricity into this interpretation – never letting the momentum flag. The sensitively calibrated tempos and dynamics seemed just right.
Rounding out the evening was Camille Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22, an appealing selection which manages to be variously intense, reflective, showy and romantic.
It featured fast-rising Macedonian pianist Simon Trpceski. There are plenty of twenty-something keyboard whizzes, but few if any can match his mix of technical brilliance with stylistic insight and panache. Expect to hear a lot more from him.
All in all, a terrific night at the symphony.
The concert will be repeated at 2:30 p.m. today.
