Previn, Stravinsky and Beethoven at the BSO
Owls, Violin Concerto and the 4th Symphony in Concert
Oct 13, 2008
On the weekend of October 2nd-7th, the Boston Symphony Orchestra gave the world premiere of Owls, a contemplative orchestral nocturne by pianist, composer and conductor André Previn. The BSO commissioned the piece both to celebrate the long-standing relationship between Previn and the orchestra and to serve as the opening work on a program conducted by the composer himself.
Also on the program were Igor Stravinsky's Violin Concerto in D and Ludwig van Beethoven's 4th Symphony. Previn conducted each work with a simplicity of motion, involved in the music and only glancing at the orchestra just in time to deliver a cue.
Owls: A Nocturne of the Woods Scored for Woodwinds and Strings
The 78-year-old composer and conductor chose an experience from his time in England as his inspiration for this piece. As Previn explained in the program notes, Owls is based on his discovery of a pair of baby owls who had fallen from their nest in the woods behind his house. Previn called in the British animal rescue society, who took care of the owls until they could be released back into the wild. The memories of those quiet woods stuck with Previn and have finally found voice in the peaceful, woodwind-dominated Owls.
Because Previn observed that animals in the woods always seemed to come in pairs, the music relies on several woodwind duets. The piece is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets in B-flat, two trumpets, as well as four horns, timpani, bass drum, celesta, harp and strings. The strings have many sections in unison, creating a beautifully rich tone also suggestive of the peace of the forest.
Stravinsky's Violin Concerto in D: Simplicity and Intensity
The second piece on the program was Stravinsky's Violin Concerto in D, performed by violinist Gil Shaham. The work is based on a single chord that reaches over two octaves. When Stravinsky first asked Samuel Dushkin, the original soloist, if it were possible to play that chord on the violin, the violinist replied that he thought the chord was impossible. Yet after going home and trying the chord out, Dushkin discovered he could in fact play it, and the sparse, open-sounding Violin Concerto in D was born.
Stravinsky hated the virtuosity that often accompanied violin solo performance and meticulously trimmed out unnecessary runs and trills. In the spirit of Stravinsky's intent, violinist Gil Shaham delivered a fiery rendition that blended the simplicity of the music with an intensity of performance.
Beethoven's 4th Symphony: The Heavy and Light Sides of Beethoven
The final piece on the program was Beethoven's 4th Symphony. Though audiences are more familiar with the power-horse 5th Symphony or the pastoral 6th Symphony, the 4th was actually composed after Beethoven had started work on those later symphonies and contains elements of both. The heavy and light sides play back and forth, as the music becomes aggressive then delicate, pensive then merry, technical then lyrical.
Sources
Mandel, Marc. "André Previn: Owls." Program Notes.
Ledbetter, Steven. "Igor Stravinsky: Violin Concerto in D." Program Notes.
Mandel, Marc. "Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-flat, Opus 60." Program Notes.
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