Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Grand Palace Hall, Ion Câmpineanu 28, Bucharest, Romania

Following their concert last night, https://www.colinscolumn.com/enescu-festival-2023-tonhalle-orchester-zurich-paavo-jarvi-conducts-honeggers-pacific-231-dvoraks-new-world-symphony-with-andrei-ionita-playing-george-enescus-symp/, and a matter of ninety minutes since Blomstedt conducted Bruckner, https://www.colinscolumn.com/enescu-festival-2023-gewandhausorchester-leipzig-herbert-blomstedt-conducts-enescu-bruckner-live-stream-on-enescu-festival-website-also-live-on-radio-romania-cultural/, Paavo Järvi and the Tonhalle Orchestra brought their own Bruckner, the unfinished three-movement Ninth Symphony (completions have been made of the Finale) that made a short-measure concert, sixty-two minutes, but one high on musical illumination – a flowing if flexible first movement, virile, yet with dark recesses; a malicious Scherzo, its rhythms hammered out, the Trio scampering much quicker; and a third movement of grand designs, resigned sadness, fearful palpitations, luminous strings, and a grinding dissonant climax with ‘where next?’ concluding bars. Järvi got the lot, all played with commitment, and Alpha will no doubt issue a recording taped at the Tonhalle.