Dallas Symphony program progresses effectively from solos to Sibelius
Thursday, guest conductor John Storgårds led the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in a wide-ranging program that spotlighted concentertante works combining the orchestra with an instrumental soloist.
Chief guest conductor of the BBC Philharmonic and artistic director of the Lapland Chamber Orchestra, Storgårds is highly regarded as both a conductor and a virtuoso violinist. He began Thursday’s program leading a reduced orchestra as soloist performing the Romance No. 2 by Beethoven, a piece hailing from the composer’s early years in Vienna.
Storgårds appeared to take a position of “first among equals,” dispensing with a podium, and standing on the stage just ahead of the principal strings and facing forward, turning away during solo rests to actively direct the ensemble.
Storgårds played with a rich and clear tone that blended perfectly with the larger DSO and yet remained distinct regardless of his dynamic level. Marked “Adagio cantabile,” the piece unfolded much like a song. with Storgårds’s violin taking the part of the voice as he deftly navigated the ornamentation of the principal melody without obscuring its overall lyrical contour. The contrasting middle section saw more animated figuration from Storgårds that never exceeded the bounds of taste appropriate for an eighteenth century Viennese salon.
Next up was the Dallas Symphony’s own principal harpist Emily Levin in the Harp Concerto of Henriette Renié. Although exhibiting a more impassioned character than the Romance, the DSO’s performance of the concerto was still marked by a tasteful restraint, perhaps due to the similarly smaller ensemble selected to accompany the more delicate sound of the instrument.
For this piece, Storgårds used the standard conductor’s podium. Their close physical proximity implied a collaborative dialogue between soloist and conductor that was borne out by the concerto’s four movements, Levin traded passages with the orchestra, contributed rippling arpeggios to the larger sound of the ensemble, and alternately provided sparkling, lyrical melodies and virtuosic, bravura glissandi during solo episodes. Levin seemed to enjoy herself throughout, acknowledging cues from Storgårds but otherwise fully focused on her instrument.
The audience responded enthusiastically, prompting an encore featuring Levin performing her own arrangement for solo harp of “Rainbow Connection” by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher (Kermit the Frog’s signature song).
Whereas the first two pieces were characterized by a measure of restraint due to their style, performing forces or both, the second half of the program saw the DSO and especially Storgårds come alive with a renewed dynamism. Resuming his place as soloist, Storgårds quickly took charge of Keith Jarrett’s Elegy, his ringing instrumental tone and fervent motions on stage embodying the successive moments of reflection, solemnity and even anguish heard in the piece. The string players of the DSO matched his ardor impeccably, echoing the depths of Storgårds’s expression with their own rich resonance.
The Third Symphony of Jean Sibelius brought a rousing end to the evening’s program. Having recorded a complete cycle of the symphonies of Sibelius with the BBC Philharmonic, Storgårds demonstrated a perfect feel for the piece which he seamlessly imparted to the DSO through his gestures and presence.
The brisk, busy figurations of the opening movement exuded a bountiful energy, occasionally interrupted by dramatic pauses signaled by Storgårds. The second movement provided contrast with a folk-like character effectively captured by lyrical duets sounded by the principal wind players.
It was in the finale that the DSO and Storgårds brought the steadily mounting energy of the symphony fully to the surface. Beginning with an elfin scherzo that recalled the brisk rhythms from the first movement, Storgårds steered this busy texture inexorably along, punctuated intermittently by brief fanfares, while simultaneously guiding the subtle introduction of a march-like melody in the second violins.
Under Storgårds’s baton, the other string instruments gradually abandoned the brisk scherzo in favor of the resolute march, building momentum as the march was slowly embraced by the entire ensemble. The fullness of sound coupled with the simplicity of the march and the relentlessness of its pace conveyed a grandeur that, culminating in the majestic final cadence, made for a fitting conclusion both for the symphony and for the program overall.
The program will be repeated 7:30 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Sunday. dallassymphony.org
One Response to “Dallas Symphony program progresses effectively from solos to Sibelius”
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Posted Apr 05, 2025 at 8:05 pm by Jaime Herrera
Thank you!! This is a much better review than I read in the Dallas papers.