|
Back
“Impassioned Mahler, howling Wolfe” Philadelphia
Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center
10/01/2026 - & October 2*, 3, 2026
Anton Webern: Im Sommerwind
Julia Wolfe: Liberty Bell
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 5 in C‑sharp minor
The Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick Nézet-Séguin (conductor)
Y. Nézet-Séguin (© Diana Antal)
There seems to be an endless need for short pieces for large orchestras. I must have heard half a dozen such works on programs featuring Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, some custom‑written, others pulled from the archives. Composing such small but high‑impact pieces is a great way for contemporary composers, especially woman and people of color, to get a foot in the door to having their music played. Sometimes, that is as far as it goes, and we miss hearing what these new composers would say if given a half hour or more to share their musical thoughts.
Last week, I heard a great example of what a music director can do with eight to twelve minutes on a program dominated by a single long, complicated symphony. The Philadelphia Orchestra, under the direction of Yannick Nézet‑Séguin, performed Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5. This was preceded by two short works that lapped up the time before intermission.
The concert opened with Im Sommerwind, an uncharacteristic work by 12‑tone master Anton Webern. I would hazard a guess that, given a choice, most casual listeners would prefer the harmonic sweetness of this short work to the strange beauty of the revolutionary pieces he is famous for. But the sound of Im Sommerwindis not mature Webern, not by a long shot. And yet it deserves to be played and heard, not only for its own merits but also to provide context to help us understand the source of the short‑lived but vastly influential world of atonality.
Commissioned by Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra, the second short work to appear before intermission was Liberty Bell by Julia Wolfe, composer of another absorbing but longer work, Pretty. Wolfe is also known for her involvement in the musical organization, Bang on a Can, which unites academic and independent musical voices in New York City.
Liberty Bell is truly an original creation. Inspired by Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell, the work soars with energy and the rip‑roaring volume so beloved by Yannick and Philadelphia audiences. Musical textures collide and sparkle, percussion instruments such as large tubular bells, a thunder sheet, vibraphone and the full orchestra wage a kind of war on silence far from the gentle musical meadowlands of Haydn and Mozart. A thrilling experience, all around.
The concert concluded with Mahler’s Fifth, more than an hour in length. Yannick has a special affinity for Mahler, and his exciting take on this concert‑hall staple was a joy to hear. This was a stirring performance, filled with unmitigated passion in a work composed by Mahler to express his love for his young wife, Alma. Sadly, this love, less than 10 years later, would crumble in anxiety and remorse. The work contains many unforgettable musical passages within five movements, including the famous Adagietto (movement four) and the rousing final movement. The performance included memorable solos by principal trumpet James Vaughen and Jennifer Montone, principal horn. I am not generally fond of Mahler but discovered new layers of meaning and feeling in this rendition, with its robust leadership and an orchestra united in purpose and skill.
Linda Holt
|
