Returning to the New York Philharmonic, her hometown orchestra, Karina Canellakis led an ambitious program opening with Kaija Saariaho’s transcription of a movement from her La Passion de Simone, an oratorio based on the life of the French philosopher, political activist and mystic, Simone Weil. The arrangement begins with a trumpet intoning a soprano melody from the vocal work that is subjected to a series of haunting variations.
The contemplative tone paved the way for Berg’s Violin Concerto, an emotional essay on anguish and grief. Making her debut appearance on a Philharmonic subscription program, Veronika Eberle delivered a committed, full-toned account, easily navigating the intricate rhythms and extended techniques while conveying the deeply tragic character of the music. She opened with a pianissimo of great delicacy and went on to give an intense and purposeful reading, deftly varying her vibrato to heighten emotion, especially in the gently hushed resolution of the consoling Es ist genug chorale theme. Canellakis and the orchestra provided a superb accompaniment, perfectly matching the violinist’s soft and subtle shading.
Eberle offered a delightful encore: the second movement, ‘Theme and Variations’, of Prokofiev’s Sonata, Op.115, played with sweet and seamless sound.
Olivier Messiaen’s Les Offrandes oubliées is a meditation on Christ’s death on the cross, man’s descent into sin, and divine forgiveness. A slow, winding melody in the strings, accompanied by two flutes and two horns is followed by a turbulent Allegro with piercing calls from trumpets. After a moment of silence a slow, serene melody from the violins rises over pianissimo chords. The piece ends on a long, barely audible note. Cannelakis’s wide, expressive gestures elicited a poised performance that carried into Debussy’s sonic portrayal of the sea, beginning as a serenely flowing soundscape that gathered confidence and built to a climax as the sun reached its zenith. The second movement was the most impressive, successfully capturing the lively, unpredictably playful nature of the waves. The more turbulent ‘Dialogue of the Wind and the Sea’ kept one’s attention through the constant rise and fall of tension. The woodwinds sounded superb throughout. While this rather understated performance lacked the ominous, foreboding quality of some interpretations, it was a buoyant and evocative rendition of Debussy’s marine masterpiece.
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