Nine years ago, YuMi Hwang-Williams and Basil Vendryes stepped out of their usual orchestral roles and joined the Colorado Symphony as soloists for Mozart’s delightful Sinfonia concertante in E flat major, K. 364.
The well-matched duo teamed up again Friday evening in the same piece, and the results were just as satisfying: the two veterans delivered poised, technically secure performances.
Playing with her usual verve and radiant sound, Hwang-Williams demonstrated again why the orchestra is fortunate to have her as concertmaster.
Vendryes, the orchestra’s well-regarded principal violist, showed off his dark, supple tone and made sure every note was in place, but he was a little tentative and restrained.
The main event, though, came in the second half — the orchestra’s first performance in 26 years of 19th-century Austrian composer Anton Bruckner’s monumental Symphony No. 7 in E major.
Sometimes the benefit of having a performer of the same nationality as the music’s creator can be exaggerated, but it seemed to pay off in this case, with the internationally recognized Austrian conductor, Hans Graf, on the podium.
The music director of the Houston Symphony knew exactly what he wanted and he got it. With evocative gestures and constant adjustments, he summoned the best from the orchestra, sculpting a sweeping, complex interpretation that was exceptional in every way.
Sixty-five minutes is a long time to stay fixed on a piece of music, but Graf made sure the audience’s attention didn’t waver. Indeed, this was the kind of in-the-moment playing that made listeners lean in and really focus on the music.
The conductor provided a detailed sense of the music’s diverse, ever-changing musical topography, exposing the mini-dramas embedded in each crag, peak and expanse. At the same time, he never lost sight of how every part fit into the massive whole.
Deserving special mention were the stunning sonorities that poured from the stage, especially the lush strings and the gleaming, well-integrated brass section, which has never sounded better.
The concert will be repeated at 7:30 p.m. today and 2:30 p.m. Sunday in Boettcher Concert Hall.
Kyle MacMillan: 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com
