Franz Liszt, the “Paganini of the piano’s,” influence ran through last night’s Seattle Symphony concert. From the opening moments, when the SSO’s low strings grumbled at the start of Liszt’s symphonic poem Prometheus to the final moments, when Saint-Saens third, and most often performed symphony, climbed to a satisfying climax, Liszt’s inspiration was everywhere.
Liszt, the pianist, never missed a chance to show off. He was a consummate showman possessed, as some at the time speculated, of super human abilities. The composer’s transcriptions and original compositions for the piano served as tools to emphasize the composer’s abundant gifts at the keyboard. Liszt’s colossally difficult Transcendental Etudes being a perfect example, the fifth, “Willow the Wisp,” being especially troublesome. At the time the etudes were written, Liszt proclaimed they were playable by only a handful of pianists, he being one of them.
Not only did Liszt have a tendency to indulge at the piano, he was also indulged with countless women. Liszt was an insatiable romantic and womanizer. He would feel right at home among today’s celebrities. In his own day, rumors about the composer’s sexual exploits and his own facility at the keyboard made him an irresistible commodity through out Europe.
Liszt was a trailblazer at the keyboard, but he was also an orchestral innovator as well. The symphonic poem and the concept of program music flourished under Liszt’s pen.
Jun Markl and the Seattle Symphony opened with Liszt’s fifth symphonic poem Prometheus. Markl is the latest guest conductor to have been trained and developed by Michigan’s Gustav Meir. He struck me as serious and focused single mindedly on details. Nonetheless, whatever contortions or instructions were emanating from Markl’s mouth gave a few orchestra members a case of the giggles.
At the time the symphonic poem was written, Liszt hadn’t quite mastered orchestration. Fortunately, Joachim Raff one of Liszt’s students, helped the composer revise the work. Markl coaxed a delicious, rich sound out of the lower strings early. He achieved the same effect with the brass later in the work. There was plenty of energy but also quite a bit of restraint. The result was enjoyable but antiseptic.
As a piece, Prometheus is intended to conjure visions of the Prometheus story – the god who is punished for giving mankind fire. Prometheus’ punishment? He is chained to a rock and his liver is eaten by a bird. The tension between Prometheus, the gods and his decision to help mankind is effectively realized by the composer. The symphonic poem is possessed with an unflagging tautness. The tragedy is another story. Except for a brief moment listeners aren’t given an opportunity to lament the god’s predicament. Then again, razzle-dazzle trumps sensitivity in most of Liszt’s orchestral works.
Saint-Saens Third Symphony, titled the “Organ,” because of the inclusion of a pipe organ concluded the Liszt theme for the night. As the program notes make clear, the composer had deep regard for Liszt and his impact on music. The 3rd Symphony was completed in 1886 as a testament to the recently deceased Liszt. It didn’t start out this way, but turned in that direction when Saint-Saens learned of Liszt’s death.
Even a casual listen reveals tributes to Liszt. The symphony’s bombast, the use of organ and piano, and the recurrence of a single unifying idea symbolize Liszt’s influence on music. While Liszt’s more unappealing traits are far more interesting, his later works, many of which he composed while living with a religious order, are also noteworthy. Saint-Saens use of the organ underscores this period of Liszt’s life and segment of his compositional output beautifully. The unifying theme of the symphony is no ordinary theme however; it is unmistakably linked to the familiar Dies Ire. This theme also points to Liszt’s ties to religion and his death. Maybe, in death, Liszt was having his own “Day of Wrath” for all of his womanizing.
In the second half of the concert, Markl and the orchestra let their hair down a bit more. Admittedly, this loosening up was helped by the uncommon instrumental power of the organ. The part, small but significant, elevates the work to something nearing spiritual profundity. Like all of Saint-Saens music there is a fare amount of artifice and questionable depth, but there is also something more permeating the piece. The Frenchman wrote five symphonies four of which have been practically forgotten. The only conclusion I can draw is the otherworldliness of the “Organ” accounts for the work’s durability.
In the middle, Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto should have reminded everyone in Benaroya Hall that Liszt was known, in his day, primarily as a pianist. My impression of the concerto was damaged a few years ago when I heard the Kirov Orchestra and Valrey Gergiev perform the piece with Alexander Toradze as the soloist. Gergiev’s interpretive eccentricities were under control in the performance. But Toradze’s were not. Toradze lacked any sense of elegance or musicality. He banged the piano brilliantly, but in the process he ignored the concerto’s nuance.
Fast forward to last night. No Toradze, but Horacio Gutierrez did join Markl and the SSO. What a difference a soloist can make. Gutierrez, Markl and the orchestra were a perfect team. The performance was refined. No doubt this suited Markl’s emphasis on precision over pathos.
Gutierrez was able to balance the work’s bombastic moments with the more intimate passages. Markl’s accompaniment emphasized the work’s profuse gracefulness even as Gutierrez pushed the tempo to the limit. The effect was pronounced. Unlike Toradze and the Kirov, there was no “in your face” mentality. In fact, I felt I was eavesdropping in on a private conversation between two people, learning something never intended for public consumption.
I think Liszt would have liked last night’s performance. If the performance didn’t always channel the composer/pianist’s flamboyance, the choice of works did. Liszt’s influence on orchestral composition and his skill at the piano were obvious in the first half, while Saint-Saens put it all together into a symphony that transcends music, reaching at those parts of Liszt that are less apparent but equally as important.
