Santa Monica
The St. Petersburg Philharmonic's stirring rendition of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet suite tonight at LA's Disney Center literally sent chills down my spine. Too bad we didn't hear more of it. For some reason, maestro Yuri Temirkanov chose to present only eight of the 52 pieces that comprise this Prokofiev masterpiece. Thirty minutes seemed far to brief a tribute to a great Russian composer by an equally venerable Russian orchestra.
The Philharmonic has what The New York Times (November 1, 2007) critic Anthony Tommasini praised in a recent Carnegie Hall performance is an "earthy orchestral sound" that favors "sweeping organic interpretations" over "lighter textures and velvety sheen." This approach was much in evidence tonight, working well with Prokofiev but not so well with a lame interpretation of the more subtle Schumann Piano Concerto.
One hesitates to offer a stereotype, but the 205-year-old Philharmonic is just so traditionally Russian. Its members seem much older than those of other orchestras I have seen in recent years and there are very few women in its ranks. One is hard-pressed these days not to see a woman as the first or second violinist, and yet the Philharmonic's only two women violinists were to be found in the third row.
The St. Petersburg Philharmonic's stirring rendition of Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet suite tonight at LA's Disney Center literally sent chills down my spine. Too bad we didn't hear more of it. For some reason, maestro Yuri Temirkanov chose to present only eight of the 52 pieces that comprise this Prokofiev masterpiece. Thirty minutes seemed far to brief a tribute to a great Russian composer by an equally venerable Russian orchestra.
The Philharmonic has what The New York Times (November 1, 2007) critic Anthony Tommasini praised in a recent Carnegie Hall performance is an "earthy orchestral sound" that favors "sweeping organic interpretations" over "lighter textures and velvety sheen." This approach was much in evidence tonight, working well with Prokofiev but not so well with a lame interpretation of the more subtle Schumann Piano Concerto.
One hesitates to offer a stereotype, but the 205-year-old Philharmonic is just so traditionally Russian. Its members seem much older than those of other orchestras I have seen in recent years and there are very few women in its ranks. One is hard-pressed these days not to see a woman as the first or second violinist, and yet the Philharmonic's only two women violinists were to be found in the third row.