It’s been a quite a year so far in Denver for Franz Liszt.
The city’s contribution to the 2011 worldwide celebration of the famed 19th-century composer’s 200th birthday began with an absorbing recital in January by pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet.
And it continued Friday with Joseph Moog making his North American debut with the Colorado Symphony in Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E flat major.
The composed 23-year-old German virtuoso, who has already enjoyed considerable success in Europe, displayed innate musicality and an agile touch, coaxing a subtle spectrum of colors from the piano.
His playing could be overly controlled during certain intense moments and he needs to display a stronger sense of how one section of the work relates to the next, but overall this is a pianist with all the ingredients for a significant career.
Judging by the cheers and immediate standing ovation Friday, no one should be surprised if he makes a return visit to Denver very soon.
On the second half, the spotlight switched to guest conductor Gilbert Varga, who quickly showed himself to be a veteran, well-traveled in this repertoire. The orchestra has not sounded better this season.
He led an elegant, satisfying interpretation of Franz Schubert’s well-known Symphony No. 8 in B minor, D. 759, “Unfinished,” bringing out its inner dialogue, exerting nuanced dynamic control and adroitly shaping its shifting moods and textures.
There were many striking individual moments, such as Varga’s soft but urgent rendering of the familiar climbing motif in the violins that is repeated several times.
Much the same could be said of the orchestra’s spellbinding interpretation of Richard Strauss’ tone poem, “Death and Transfiguration,” Op. 24, with Varga conveying the full depth and drama of this sweeping work.
Several orchestra musicians stood out across the evening, but deserving notice was assistant principal clarinetist Abby Raymond, who made the most of her key solos in three of the offerings.
The only blot on the concert was Varga’s strangely forgettable take on the opener, Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 26 in D minor, “Lamentatione.”
The concert will be repeated at 7:30 p.m. today.
Kyle MacMillan: 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com
