Hartford Symphony, Hartford, CT
October 6–8, 2017
by Michael J. Moran
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| Conductor Carolyn Kuan |
The “Star-Spangled Banner,” which launched each concert in
this opening weekend program of the HSO’s 74th season, took on a personal
meaning for Carolyn Kuan, Saturday, when she and 10 other Connecticut residents
became American citizens at a naturalization ceremony held earlier on the same
stage. Beginning her own seventh season as HSO Music Director, Kuan led the
national anthem with a festive enthusiasm that drew a standing ovation from a
full house.
The concert proper began with a majestic account of
Beethoven’s dramatic “Egmont” Overture. Part of a score written for Goethe’s 1810 play about a nobleman who
led a revolution in 16th-century Holland against Spanish tyranny, the overture
depicts the suffering of the Dutch people, the execution of Count Egmont, and
the jubilation of eventual victory. Conductor and orchestra brought it to
vibrant life.
Yugo Kanno next gave two Japanese instruments, the koto (a
zither-like stringed device) and the shakuhachi (a vertical bamboo flute), solo
roles in his concerto “Revive.” Played with virtuosity by Masayo Ishigure and
Kojiro Umezaki respectively, they blended delicately with the sumptuous orchestra,
which reflected the composer’s primary experience in writing film music. The
three movements of this 2014 piece progress from the tragedy of the earthquake
and tsunami which hit Japan in 2011 to the reconstruction of many destroyed
communities. The musicians honored the composer’s intentions with an affecting
performance.
A dynamic reading of Beethoven’s third (“Eroica”) symphony
brought the program to a triumphant close. From the energetic opening “Allegro
con brio,” through the somber “Funeral March” and the uproarious “Scherzo,” to
the exuberant theme and variations “Finale,” Kuan and her ensemble vividly
conveyed the massive scale of this unprecedented work, which introduced the
modern symphony.
Under the enlightened leadership of their new American conductor,
this program was an inspiring start for the HSO’s upcoming season.
