Matthias Pintscher stepped in for Herbert Blomstedt who was unable to appear due to an ear infection, the Beethoven replacing Schubert’s Symphony No.6. Pintscher is a part-time New Yorker and on the composition faculty of the Juilliard School. He conducts the Philharmonic frequently. In the Beethoven, Pintscher seamlessly transitioned from one movement into another, maintaining a brisk and steady pace. The first movement went very smoothly, especially in the opening where the characterful woodwind solos produced a richly evocative soundscape, setting the stage for the lively, dance-like music. The Allegretto, taken at a flexible pace, neither too slow nor too heavy, displayed a wide range of dynamics, producing a sense of mounting energy. The Scherzo opened with a buoyancy that enhanced the grandeur of the weighty Trio, and the Finale was dispatched with splendidenergy and bounce.
The orchestra was equally fine in the Brahms but it was Hilary Hahn who dominated. She was in total command, pressing the music forward with a forcefulness that pervaded the entire account, playing the opening roulades with a riveting combination of fury and clarity, and delivered the movement’s bariolage passages with dexterity and precision and imbued Joachim’s cadenza with a melancholic sense of searching. Throughout, Pintscher and the Philharmonic brought dynamic and rhythmic urgency to their accompaniment, especially in the central Adagio where a gorgeous rendition of the serenade for woodwinds gave way to a graceful oboe solo. The Hungarian-flavored Finale was a model of virtuosity, Hahn tossing everything off – the foot-stomping main theme, the numerous double stops, the sweeping final runs – with warmth and abandon. As an encore she offered a shimmering rendition of Shards of Light, a fragile little piece composed for her by Carlos Simon.
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