Letter from Shenzhen (22-10): Moscow Trained Chinese Conductor and Ukrainian Soloist
Shenzhen Symphony, Zhang Guoyong 张国勇, Lesya Kot
Prokofiev and Mahler
Click pic to enlarge.
Finally, a real concert one can sink one’s teeth into! Given my admiration for conductor Zhang Guoyong, my expectations were high but only partially fulfilled.
I have heard Zhang many times, and shall never forget his valedictory Shostakovich with the same orchestra in 2010 (my review in Chinese only; if you read Chinese, I urge you to read it as it contains much info). He was his own unflappable self, but on this occasion seemingly a little more animated than usual. The gargantuan Mahler 5th unfolded naturally, with firm control of its sprawling elements and gear shifts. Colossal sounds were unleashed at the climaxes (the most cataclysmic I have heard from this orchestra) but as things went on one could not help feel something was amiss. The opening Funeral March lacked a heavy footstep (when called for). The following movement and Scherzo lacked fantastical elements and were not sufficiently differentiated from each other (admittedly not an easy task). The Adagietto went very well and brought some respite, but the Rondo-Finale imho was not successful in conveying the repeated stop and go quality of the music, as it lacked true romp that a rondo must possess.
Mind you, it was still very good, but for many of us steeped in decades of Mahler performances, a structurally sound and well executed performance that is on the literal side (like this one and the HKPO under Sinaisky in 2014) is not going to totally satisfy (but it’s better than the flaccid one by BSO/Nelsons I heard in NYC). Mahler may not always need the kind of angst Bernstein brings, but the music certainly needs a little tug here, a little agogic accent there - in other words, a little manipulation. In this respect, the performance last year by director Lin Daye had more fire, momentum and a sense of the macabre.
I was seated to the left, a little more more upfront than my usual seats, and the sound was not quite the same as what I have been used to. Lovely bass, but coarser and louder winds and brass. I shall listen again to the broadcast (aerial mikes, 3, + 2 in tandem) on 6/18 and see what’s the difference. I bet it’s very interesting. I doubt it will revise my views but I shall post an addendum then.
What’s even more interesting was the unusual opener, Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2. Now, Prokofiev was Ukrainian-born, from the currently conflicted Donetsk region (which has an airport to his name). It’s important to know he spent his substantial musical life in Moscow, both in his formative years (around the Revolution and Civil War) and upon his hard decision to return from the West many years later to Soviet Russia. Although many regard Prokofiev as a Soviet composer, and though he had won occasional governmental recognition, he had also been blacklisted and lived in fear, as Shostakovich had. It is also important to recall that many brilliant Russian-Jewish artists, like Rostropovich, Oistrakh and members of the Borodin Quartet, worked as closely with him as with Shostakovich in bringing forth the many masterpieces they wrote. Prokofiev's life is fascinating, and this Britannica entry is very good place to start.
Conductor Zhang Guoyong, like many Chinese conductors, studied in Moscow. He was a star pupil of the very great Gennadhi Rozhdestventsky. I have heard Zhang many times in recent years, and he is an excellent conductor (though Mahler may not be his forte)!
The choice of soloist is even more interesting. Lesya Kot is Ukranian, and Principal Second Violin of the SZSO (mind you, SZSO have always had Russian and Ukrainian musicians). There is not much info on her anywhere. Chinese Sohu (here) has the following:
1993年出生于乌克兰基辅，3岁学习小提琴，7岁被基辅米可拉李森科天才音乐学校录取，16岁破格考入德国汉堡音乐与戏剧学院，师从Christoph Schickedanz教授，23岁满分毕业取得小提琴演奏硕士学位并受聘于德国北德广播易北爱乐乐团，柏林国家歌剧院。
蕾西娅·柯特8岁就与乌克兰基辅国家交响乐团合作协奏曲开始了在欧洲的职业演奏生涯，并在国际小提琴比赛中屡次获奖，包括大卫奥伊斯特拉赫国际小提琴比赛，捷克Kocian小提琴国际比赛，德国保罗欣德米特小提琴国际比赛。
Now, readers of tea leaves, does that tell us something about the political stance of China, SZSO, Zhang or Lesya Kot? Add to this the very strange poster design. We can forget about the totally inapt name “Back to Nature". However, why is Zhang's face half in the dark?
Back to the music. Though not perfect, the soloist played very well and as expected was thoroughly into the idiom. The orchestra was not big but the brass and woodwinds sometimes covered up her tone. Nonetheless, I very much appreciate her authenticity (much more than many a more famous names). A very good performance for which she received generous applause.
On 6/18, 8 pm, the concert shall be broadcast “direct” 直播 on Bilibili.
Finally, a real concert one can sink one’s teeth into! Given my admiration for conductor Zhang Guoyong, my expectations were high but only partially fulfilled.
I have heard Zhang many times, and shall never forget his valedictory Shostakovich with the same orchestra in 2010 (my review in Chinese only; if you read Chinese, I urge you to read it as it contains much info). He was his own unflappable self, but on this occasion seemingly a little more animated than usual. The gargantuan Mahler 5th unfolded naturally, with firm control of its sprawling elements and gear shifts. Colossal sounds were unleashed at the climaxes (the most cataclysmic I have heard from this orchestra) but as things went on one could not help feel something was amiss. The opening Funeral March lacked a heavy footstep (when called for). The following movement and Scherzo lacked fantastical elements and were not sufficiently differentiated from each other (admittedly not an easy task). The Adagietto went very well and brought some respite, but the Rondo-Finale imho was not successful in conveying the repeated stop and go quality of the music, as it lacked true romp that a rondo must possess.
Mind you, it was still very good, but for many of us steeped in decades of Mahler performances, a structurally sound and well executed performance that is on the literal side (like this one and the HKPO under Sinaisky in 2014) is not going to totally satisfy (but it’s better than the flaccid one by BSO/Nelsons I heard in NYC). Mahler may not always need the kind of angst Bernstein brings, but the music certainly needs a little tug here, a little agogic accent there - in other words, a little manipulation. In this respect, the performance last year by director Lin Daye had more fire, momentum and a sense of the macabre.
I was seated to the left, a little more more upfront than my usual seats, and the sound was not quite the same as what I have been used to. Lovely bass, but coarser and louder winds and brass. I shall listen again to the broadcast (aerial mikes, 3, + 2 in tandem) on 6/18 and see what’s the difference. I bet it’s very interesting. I doubt it will revise my views but I shall post an addendum then.
What’s even more interesting was the unusual opener, Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2. Now, Prokofiev was Ukrainian-born, from the currently conflicted Donetsk region (which has an airport to his name). It’s important to know he spent his substantial musical life in Moscow, both in his formative years (around the Revolution and Civil War) and upon his hard decision to return from the West many years later to Soviet Russia. Although many regard Prokofiev as a Soviet composer, and though he had won occasional governmental recognition, he had also been blacklisted and lived in fear, as Shostakovich had. It is also important to recall that many brilliant Russian-Jewish artists, like Rostropovich, Oistrakh and members of the Borodin Quartet, worked as closely with him as with Shostakovich in bringing forth the many masterpieces they wrote. Prokofiev's life is fascinating, and this Britannica entry is very good place to start.
Conductor Zhang Guoyong, like many Chinese conductors, studied in Moscow. He was a star pupil of the very great Gennadhi Rozhdestventsky. I have heard Zhang many times in recent years, and he is an excellent conductor (though Mahler may not be his forte)!
The choice of soloist is even more interesting. Lesya Kot is Ukranian, and Principal Second Violin of the SZSO (mind you, SZSO have always had Russian and Ukrainian musicians). There is not much info on her anywhere. Chinese Sohu (here) has the following:
蕾西娅·柯特8岁就与乌克兰基辅国家交响乐团合作协奏曲开始了在欧洲的职业演奏生涯，并在国际小提琴比赛中屡次获奖，包括大卫奥伊斯特拉赫国际小提琴比赛，捷克Kocian小提琴国际比赛，德国保罗欣德米特小提琴国际比赛。
My Translation: Lesya Kot was born 1993 in Kiev, Ukraine. She started learning the violin at age 3, was admitted to a Talent School at 7 (the transliteration of the school's name sounds like Michaela Lischenko) and first performed with the Ukraine National Symphony at 8. At 16, she was admitted to Hamburg Conservatory and studied under Christoph Schickedanz. She graduated with a master's degree and Top Honors at 23. She has worked for the NDR Elbphilharmonie and Berlin Staatsoper. She had won prizes at several prestigious International Competitions, including the David Oistrakh, Kocian and Paul Hindemeth.
Now, readers of tea leaves, does that tell us something about the political stance of China, SZSO, Zhang or Lesya Kot? Add to this the very strange poster design. We can forget about the totally inapt name “Back to Nature". However, why is Zhang's face half in the dark?
Back to the music. Though not perfect, the soloist played very well and as expected was thoroughly into the idiom. The orchestra was not big but the brass and woodwinds sometimes covered up her tone. Nonetheless, I very much appreciate her authenticity (much more than many a more famous names). A very good performance for which she received generous applause.
On 6/18, 8 pm, the concert shall be broadcast “direct” 直播 on Bilibili.
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