March 21, 22 & 23, 2025
Jones Hall
Houston, Texas – USA
Houston Symphony, Juraj Valčuha, conductor; Kirill Gerstein, piano.
Anatoly LIADOV: The Enchanted Lake (1909)
Sergei RACHMANINOFF: (1934)
Alexander ZEMLINSKY: Die Seejungfrau (“The Mermaid”) (1903)
Lawrence Wheeler | 24 MAR 2025
Friday evening, Houston Symphony Music Director Juraj Valčuha led the second concert of a “Fairy Tales Festival” at Jones Hall. The concert began with The Enchanted Lake by Liadov and concluded with The Mermaid by Zemlinsky. Pianist Kirill Gerstein performed Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini. The three pieces have references to fairy tales, fables, and fantasy. For tonight, the defining factor was color.
Liadov’s tone poem The Enchanted Lake was originally part of an unfinished opera. Given the composer’s issues with completion stemming from inherent laziness, this seven-minute work is what remains. Subtitled “Fairy Tale Picture,” it musically describes softly rippling waters under starry skies. With no main melody or defined rhythm, Liadov goes from motif to motif in a musical slide show. Softer dynamics and a lighter orchestration evoke mystical serenity. Liadov said: “One has to feel the change of colors.”
The Enchanted Lake served as a musical palate cleanser. Assisted by sensitive harp, celeste, and flute playing, Valčuha presented a palette of pastel colors having an Impressionistic feel. This was but a glimpse of his ever-expanding range of orchestral texture and tone color.
The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is a set of 24 variations of varying tempos, dynamics, and rhythms. It is a concerto in all but form. Rachmaninoff makes full use of the wide range of character and tone color of both piano and orchestra. The interplay between orchestra and soloist often sounds like a highly choreographed boxing match. A key recurring element is the “Dies Irae” chant from the medieval Mass for the Dead. This ties in with the fantastic story that Paganini had sold his soul to the Devil so he might become the greatest violinist in history.
Following last week’s magical performance of Korngold’s violin concerto, this evening’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini further demonstrated Valčuha and the orchestra’s great skill as accompanists. Pianist Kirill Gerstein worked closely with Valčuha and the orchestra to achieve a performance marked by energy, imagination, and impressive ensemble. Giving rapt attention to conductor and orchestra, Gerstein assumed a chamber music role. Presenting the demeanor of a noble gentleman, he was impressive rather than flamboyant in accelerated virtuosic passages while eschewing bombast in loud percussive sections. Softer variations had an intimate feel expressed by a delicate and transparent tone akin to light shining through fine porcelain.
Gerstein began the well-known 18th variation with unaffected expression. Valčuha led the orchestral reply to a high point of unrestrained passion—using full bows with molto vibrato, the unison strings phrased as one. This was arguably the most magical point of the evening. A brief moment of misaligned ensemble came in Variation XXI—Gerstein stayed glued on Valčuha, who provided firmly squared off beats to get things back on track. Except for that, soloist and orchestra maintained razor-edged ensemble and brilliant playing throughout.
Following several curtain calls, Gerstein offered an encore: Rachmaninoff’s “Melodie” from Fantasy Pieces, Op. 3. Delivered with poetic repose, it was the ideal choice for a program that includes fantasy.
Zemlinsky had fallen in love with his composition student Alma Schindler, who was considered the most beautiful woman in Vienna. She ended up leaving him to marry Gustav Mahler. His symphonic poem The Mermaid was the catharsis for his broken heart. As is often the case, composers’ works can contain unwritten autobiographical references. For Zemlinsky, the tale of The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Anderson had parallels. In the music, he is represented by the character of the mermaid, whose unrequited love for someone unreachable leads to her death, followed by immortality in a different form.
The Mermaid has three parts that follow the storyline. Valčuha expertly revealed the details of the colorful and emotion-laden score. It begins with low-pitched instruments representing the murky depths of the ocean and coincidentally matching Zemlinsky’s deep despair. The mermaid appears as a solo violin, tenderly played by concertmaster Yoonshin Song. Donning a mask, cellist Brinton Smith contributed beautiful cello solos. The Mahleresque orchestration often features the French horns, with principal William VerMeulen providing polished solos throughout. The seven-player section was clarion in the second-part ball scene. Trombones and tuba added to the score’s drama with rich and powerful playing. From bass clarinet to piccolo, the woodwind section had manifold solos that were colorfully and expressively presented. The only exception was a guest principal oboe, sitting in for the ailing Jonathan Fischer. On this night, pitch and tone were not up to the standards of this excellent wind section. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Houston Symphony: houstonsymphony.org
- Juraj Valčuha: jurajvalcuha.com
- Kirill Gerstein: kirillgerstein.com
Read more by Lawrence Wheeler.
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