Originally published at Seen and Heard International
The most recent Seattle Symphony concert was once envisioned as a matchmaking session between a rising maestro in Jonathon Heyward and an orchestra in search of a new leader. In 2019, Heyward had made an impressive debut with the SSO. With youth on his side, a resume of lauded concerts, and a taste for interesting repertoire, rumors swirled that Heyward could be a good fit. But after Heyward’s return to Seattle had been planned, the Baltimore Symphony announced that he would succeed Marin Alsop as its music director.
That may have changed the calculus behind Heyward’s return to the podium, but not its tone or temper. As with his debut program with the Seattle Symphony — which blended Haydn and Holst with a new work by Hannah Kendall — Heyward mixed the familiar with the novel. The latter in this case took the form of Esa-Pekka Salonen’s Cello Concerto, performed with aplomb by German cellist Nicolas Altstaedt. Salonen’s enigmatic description of the piece contrasts sharply with experiencing it live in concert, where energy radiates off the stage and fills the performance hall. Set in three movements, the structure is familiar enough, but belies a special intricacy that must be heard to be believed. An energetic opening movement precedes an introspective middle section that is rich with melodic lines for both the solo cello and flute accompaniment. The fast-paced final movement is more reminiscent of many of the standards in the cello concerto repertoire.
Continue reading Heyward returns to the Seattle Symphony with impressive performances of Dvorak and Salonen’s Cello Concerto
Gathering Note 