Slobodeniouk Auspicious in CSO debut
How to be the center of attention:
1) Be a conductor.
2) Guest conduct the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra after January 7, 2010.
That’s the date Paavo Järvi announced that he would not renew his contract as CSO music director when it expires at the end of the 2010-2011 season.
Dmitri Slobodeniouk, 34, met both of those conditions and more when he guest conducted the CSO Thursday evening (February 4) at Music Hall.
He got some help from Tchaikovsky, whose Symphony No. 4 and Serenade for Strings, Op. 48, gave him a very popular CSO introduction.
Casting Slobodeniouk further in the spotlight, the concert marked his North American debut.
However, nothing really prepared one for the presence and musical authority he displayed. Born in Moscow and trained in Russia and Finland, Slobodeniouk (Slo-bo-den-YOOK) led with ease and conviction, drawing a performance from the CSO that was remarkable for its precision and beauty, especially in such a short time with the orchestra.
It may not be an exaggeration to say that it put him in contention for the post that Järvi will vacate in June, 2011. There is much more to see and hear, of course, but Slobodeniouk was clearly in sync with the CSO players, who afforded him the compliment of refusing to stand when he motioned them to do so during the ovation following their performance of the Fourth Symphony.
Based in Helsinki, where he studied conducting at the famed Sibelius Academy, Slobodeniouk has technique to burn – and of the most effective kind. He is not showy or overburdened with gesture, but gives the musicians just what they need to know, with clarity and exactitude. His overall body language and demeanor project the musical feeling he wishes to convey.
He comes across as eminently personable, too (confirmed backstage after the performance), collegial to musicians and staff, welcoming to the public who came back to greet him and unencumbered by excessive ego.
The first few bars of the Tchaikovsky Serenade grabbed one by the ears. The string sound was full and rich, distributed evenly through the sections. (A violinist by training, Slobodeniouk is the son and grandson of violists and seemed to have a particular ear for their burnished mahogany sound, which was notable throughout the concert.)
Written in homage to Mozart and one of Tchaikovsky's favorite works, the Serenade has not been performed on CSO subscription concerts since 1974, and after hearing Thursday’s performance, one wonders why. Equally popular with the public, it seems to be relegated to the chamber orchestra repertoire.
Slobodeniouk gave it a performance to relish. The waltz movement was brisk, nuanced and charming. The sweet, heartfelt Elegie began and ended with a softness palpable as down on a bird's wing. The folk-like finale, with its surprise reprise of the first movement introduction, brought the first half of the concert to a stirring end.
What the Serenade did for the strings, the Fourth Symphony did for the winds and brasses. There were abundant, character-filled solos by oboist Dwight Parry, bassoonist William Winstead, clarinetist Richard Hawley and flutist Randolph Bowman, aided and abetted by flutists Kyril Magg and Joan Voorhees (piccolo). The brasses shone with monolithic splendor throughout.
There was real contrast in the opening movement, from the arresting “fate” motif sounded by the brass, to the urgency of the opening theme in the strings and the almost lazy, lyrical quality of the contrasting theme. Slobodeniouk saved the biggest statement of the “fate” motif for the end, sealing its inevitability.
The melancholy Andantino featured particularly touching solos by Parry and Winstead. The pizzicato scherzo was delightful in Slobodeniouk’s (and the CSO string players’) hands, with fine dynamic shaping and a brief pause before the fortissimo outburst that signaled the finale. His pacing to the bombastic end was breathtaking and assured, winning an enthusiastic ovation from the crowd.
Repeat is 8 p.m. Saturday at Music Hall and is not to miss. For tickets ($10 up) call (513) 381-3300 or order online at www.cincinnatisymphony.org