CSO Sells Out Music Hall with Lang Lang, Beethoven
There is no one quite like Lang Lang:
Unmatched technician, consummate musician, magnetic personality, as well as the world’s greatest pianist (one day, he may be a great conductor as well, in view of his ability to work closely with an orchestra).
No one who attended Saturday night’s sold-out performance by Lang Lang and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra would argue with this assessment. To sell out 3,500-seat Music Hall is itself a rare achievement.
But it was not just Lang Lang who packed them in. Louis Langrée, entering his second season as CSO music director, was on the podium. And he held the reins splendidly for a concert that was all-Beethoven. Beethoven is himself a sure-fire hit.
With this combination going for it, the CSO was bound to knock it out of the park.
Langrée opened on a heroic note with Beethoven’s “Egmont” Overture, filling the hall with drama, and crafting a mood of excitement for what was to follow, which was Lang Lang and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major.
But Langrée did not yield the field so easily. He set the stage for Lang Lang in the exposition of the Concerto with the greatest sensitivity and precision, every note in place, from the soft wash of strings at the beginning to the pianist’s entry.
Lang Lang’s performance was superbly musical -- in 007 terms, “no one does it better.” He invested the first movement, Allegro con brio (“with spirit”), with a wide range of dynamics and expression. There was plenty of bravura, too, most notably in the cadenza, which was extensive, mind-blowing and all Beethoven’s. One could almost imagine the composer (himself the greatest pianist of his day) smiling down from above.
The Largo second movement was dreamy by contrast. Lines were exquisitely stated and eloquently worked out by Lang Lang and the CSO. Ensemble between the soloist and the orchestra was irreproachable. The rondo finale, marked Allegro scherzando (“playful”), was a merry romp, awash with characterful episodes. Lang Lang kept his listeners on the edge of their seats as he interacted with Langrée and the CSO, but their connection was perfect throughout, from the piano’s first statement of the rondo theme, to the fortissimo conclusion (where the orchestra gets the last word).
Responding to the instant, unanimous ovation -- rarely has a standing ovation been so well deserved -- Lang Lang returned to graciously acknowledge the orchestra. He then obliged with an encore, Mozart’s Rondo alla turca (“Turkish March” from his Piano Sonata No. 11 in A Major). Never have I heard it taken at such a clip with such inherent musical shaping.
For the second half of the program, Langrée led an exhilarating performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major. It was a happy occasion to relish the close connection Langrée has forged with the CSO. This was particularly evident in the strings, where he achieved beautiful timbres and textures, always with inherent unity and purpose. The coloration of the lower strings at the beginning of the second movement was breathtaking.
Langrée favored brisk tempos throughout the Symphony, and there was a constant feeling of energy. The Presto third movement was full of zest. As for the finale, again Allegro con brio, sparks flew here, and the feeling was of pure metrical jubilation. The CSO was a unity, whether galloping together or playing off one another, and details emerged that often go unheard.
The CSO returns with Langrée and clarinetist Martin Fröst in Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Music Hall (Sept. 19 and 20). Also on the program is “Harmonielehre” by John Adams. Tickets begin at $12. Call (513) 381-3300, or order online at www.cincinnatisymphony.org