I was startled recently by three very different reviews of the New York Philharmonic’s season opening concert conducted by its new music director, Alan Gilbert. Many arts attendees look to reviews for a guidance, inspiration and information. But what are we to think when critics sound like they have attended different concerts? The New York Times said: “The music, and music making, were fresh and dynamic.” While The Washington Post (on its blog) complained: “All the ingredients were there. All that was missing was excitement.” The Los Angeles Times fell somewhere in between, stating that “he [Gilbert} makes sense of the music he conducts.”
There were three pieces on the program – a new work, “Expo,” written for the occasion by the Philharmonic’s composer in residence, Magnus Lindberg, an early vocal work by Messiaen, “Poems Pour Mi,” and Berlioz’s “Symphonie Fantastique.” For starters, Anthony Tommasini of the NY Times found “Expo” to be “urgent and inventive.” But Mark Swed of the LA Times “wondered if many found this music to take home with them.” Regarding the Messiaen, Mr. Tommasini declared that “Ms. Fleming is perfect for this demanding work, and she sang it splendidly. [She] shaped each phrase with sensitivity to the words and a keen feeling for nuance and color.” But Anne Midgette of the Post said “it felt too big for the soprano Renée Fleming, who emoted with a will, perhaps too much. The songs didn’t sit in a part of Fleming’s voice that helped set off either them or her to absolutely best advantage.”
Things really got interesting in the Berlioz. Tommasini described Gilbert’s account of the Symphonie Fantastique as “rhythmically exacting and coolly incisive, providing a context that allowed the wildness of this radical 1830 symphony to come through.” He added that it was “refreshing to hear this staple conducted with such attentiveness to detail and textural clarity.” The “Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath” had “plenty of heat and power.” Midgette, however, was crestfallen and really disappointed stating: “I felt I was hearing notes, executed carefully, or not so carefully …. but whether it was actually moving was another matter.” Somewhere in between again was Swed, who thought Gilbert was relatively “carefree” in the Berlioz and showed “expressive freedom.”
I listened carefully to this performance, especially the Berlioz. I could hear the exacting rhythms Tommasini praised as well as why Midgette did not feel moved. It was all in there, as was my chance to hear a fresh approach. My own favorite conductor in this symphony is Colin Davis who provides an emotional roller-coaster ride without ever falling off the tracks. But would I want to hear each performance exactly the same? My advice is, go listen. Every time I hear a piece live, I find something new that makes re-listening to my recordings more exciting. Critics should advise and inform rather than burden us with personal taste.
George Wachtel