2023-09-10 21:44:38
The cello concerto by the Berlin-based Korean composer Unsuk Chin is a work that you would like to hear again after the performance: On Friday evening, the monumental work was presented by the Staatskapelle Berlin in the Philharmonie under the direction of Rafael Payare, with Alisa Weilerstein as a soloist. The composition is intellectual and emotional at the same time. Chin manages to interweave many harmonious, sometimes catchy sequences with chaotic parts. You want to hear the work again because the listener can vaguely remember individual passages that you would like to feel again, perhaps even sing after – a rarity in contemporary compositions. The composer’s mastery lies in the fact that she does not act in a syncretic or eclectic manner, but rather develops a personal style that reaches the listener. This is an extraordinary achievement because the mainstream of so-called classical music has had to meander between Schönberg and Hollywood film music for over a hundred years. Only a few composers manage to use the freedom to create a form that can be conveyed.
Alisa Weilerstein played a crucial role in the success of the Friday concert. She knew how to transform the effects into a message with the help of extreme virtuosity and chamber music discretion. The Staatskapelle showed that it is a world-class orchestra, even in the avant-garde. The Venezuelan conductor Rafael Payere conducted the complicated work with utmost precision. Gustav Mahler’s Fifth after the break was characterized by purification and dance-like lightness. Mahler from the spirit of tango instead of the sedate Alpine Ländler. The Staatskapelle brilliant and deep in every orchestra group. Payere took the Adagietto quickly and showed that substance is not a question of tempo. One would like to hear this extraordinary conductor perform Wagner. He has the refreshing style of Gustavo Dudamel, whose mastery of classical music has set new standards around the world. How lucky that the world of music knows no boundaries.
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#Staatskapelle #Berlin #Philharmonie