February 13 & 15, 2025
Atlanta Symphony Hall, Woodruff Arts Center
Atlanta, Georgia – USA
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Vasily Petrenko, conductor; Nathan Berg, bass-baritone; Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Norman Mackenzie, director.
Jean SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 1 in E minor, Op. 39
William WALTON: Belshazzar’s Feast
Mark Gresham | 15 FEB 2025
Once again, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra has demonstrated what it can do with a highly skilled conductor on the podium.
In an evening that balanced brooding Nordic landscapes with the grandeur of biblical drama, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, under the baton of guest conductor Vasily Petrenko, delivered a compelling program of Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 1 and William Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast at Symphony Hall on Thursday night.
Petrenko, a true conductor of refined precision, shaped the performance of Sibelius’ First Symphony with a clear sense of architecture, cueing entrances with the elegance and assurance of an old-line maestro in complete command, with a conducting style that was a bit reminiscent of Eugene Ormandy. His approach was marked by sonic transparency, making the intricate orchestration gleam.
The extended “Andante, ma non troppo” introductory clarinet solo, played by principal clarinet Jesse McCandless, set a darkly evocative atmosphere of solitude and mystery, floating over a timpani roll. At the ensuing “Allegro energico,” the entrance of the second violins felt slightly unsteady for a few moments, like an anxious heartbeat, before the other strings joined in with a sweeping theme driven by bold, dynamic contrasts and rhythmic propulsion.
Sibelius’ orchestration is vivid, creating a storm-like intensity that shifts between brooding drama and soaring lyricism, with timpani and low strings reinforcing its momentum. Through subtle thematic transformations and organic development, Sibelius establishes the symphony’s heroic yet restless character, blending raw power with expressive beauty.
Lush, sweeping melodies abounded, particularly in the “Andante” second movement, but avoiding excess. The “Scherzo” third movement was full of rhythmic energy, propelling the music forward like a primal force.
The final movement, often noted for its episodic nature, felt particularly fragmented under Petrenko’s clarity—an issue inherent in the score rather than in its execution.
The final movement (“Quasi una fantasia”) is unusual and episodic in form, with abrupt shifts in tempo, a characteristic highlighted under Petrenko’s clarity but an issue inherent in the score rather than in its execution. Here, the clarinet’s opening theme returned, but now in a dramatically altered form, reinforcing its thematic significance—a structural anchor that ties the symphony’s emotional arc back to its mysterious beginning. The music culminated in a passionate, declamatory ending.
Canadian bass-baritone Nathan Berg and the mighty ASO Chorus joined Petrenko and the orchestra for the program’s second half: William Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, a dramatic oratorio that recounts the biblical story of the Babylonian king’s downfall, blending jazz-inflected harmonies, biting rhythms, and bold orchestration with an imposing choral presence. It is high-energy, big-volume music that, in the wrong hands, can easily become merely a garish spectacle.
Petrenko ensured that the large orchestra and chorus functioned as a unified force, unlike interpretations where a conductor gives the chorus precedence of attention.
Nathan Berg’s bass-baritone provided narrative authority and expressive range as the voice of the Prophet in the biblical account of Babylon’s decadence and ultimate downfall, culminating in the chilling moment when the famous “writing on the wall” appears: מְנֵא מְנֵא תְּקֵל וּפַרְסִין (“Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin”), literally “Numbered, Numbered, Weighed, and Divided,” signaling the impending fall of Babylon and Belshazzar’s reign.
Rembrandt’s depiction of the biblical account of King Belshazzar seeing a hand writing the words “mene, mene, tekel, upharsin” on a wall.
The chorus acts as both narrator and participant, from revelers exulting in Babylon’s wealth and excess to mourners solemnly lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem; they erupt into a frenzied cry of alarm as the fateful “writing on the wall” appears, marking Belshazzar’s doom. The climactic moment comes when Berg sings, “In that night was Belshazzar the King slain,” they suddenly shout “Slain!” in unison response before Berg’s final sung words, “and his kingdom divided.”
The final section transformed the chorus and orchestra into a jubilant assembly, rejoicing in the fall of Babylon and celebrating Israel’s deliverance with exultant, dance-like energy. Walton’s writing for the chorus is exceptionally demanding, requiring power, precision, and rhythmic vitality, often set against a massive orchestral backdrop that adds to the overwhelming intensity of the piece.
Prepared by the ASO director of choruses, Norman Mackenzie, the ASO Chorus navigated well the challenging choral writing, which often split into a double chorus—eight parts. In sections such as the declamatory “Thus spake Isaiah” at the beginning, “By the waters of Babylon” and “If I forget thee, O Jerusalem” (both from Psalm 137), and the jubilant “Then sing aloud to God our strength,” the sound of the ASO Chorus stood out as especially cohesive, whether in pianissimo passages or resonant fortes.
Despite the performance’s overall impact, one notable staging decision tempered its dramatic potential. Walton’s score calls for spatially separated extra antiphonal brass, typically positioned in balconies or dispersed throughout the hall for an immersive effect. Instead, they were grouped together on one side of the stage, diminishing the work’s signature surround-sound grandeur. The decision felt like a significant missed opportunity.
Nevertheless, the audience response was overwhelmingly positive, and deservedly so, with patrons praising Petrenko’s conducting and the excitement he brought to the podium. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: aso.org
- Vasily Petrenko: vasilypetrenkomusic.com
- Nathan Berg: nathan-berg.com
Read more by Mark Gresham.
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