Two constants of classical music are the regular emergence of new talents and the eagerness of orchestras and presenters to capitalize on the excitement surrounding their youth and star potential.
Among the latest such gifted hopefuls is Czech pianist Lukas Vondracek, who is in his early 20s. He made his debut Friday evening in Boettcher Concert Hall with conductor Marin Alsop — an obvious fan — and the Colorado Symphony.
His performance, at times electrifying, of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor, Op. 23 — a crowd-pleaser if there ever were one — drew cheers and an instantaneous standing ovation.
It was not hard to tell why. His dazzling finger work and other virtuosic feats made clear again and again that this supremely self-assured soloist possesses prodigious technique. Often missing, though, was something more elusive — a genuine interpretative voice and a real connection to the folk-tinged flavor of Tchaikovsky’s music.
Vondracek’s forceful take on the first movement, for example, could have used a little more finesse and a little less punch. And in certain key solo moments throughout the piece, his playing tended to be mannered and overdone.
These concerns aside, don’t be surprised to see him back on a symphony program soon.
After opening the first half with the Prelude to Richard Wagner’s “Die Meistersinger,” Alsop turned to Antonin Dvorak’s Symphony No. 5 in F major, Op. 76. Amazingly, the last time the orchestra performed the piece was in 1966.
If it is not among the composer’s strongest or most popular symphonies, the work is certainly appealing enough, as this solidly effective, if not exceptional, version made clear.
Alsop aptly conveyed the relaxed jauntiness that suffuses much of this work, bringing a gentle subtlety and air of simplicity to the slow second movement and nicely capturing the scherzo’s good humor and rhythmic bounciness.
After the first three soft- edged movements, the finale comes as something of a surprise, with its more urgent and muscular character. Alsop delivered an up-tempo, ebullient take that ably capped the performance.
The concert will be repeated at 2:30 p.m. today.
Kyle MacMillan: 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com
