Review- Milwaukee Symphony

 It’s hard to beat the third movement of Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony as an example of stirring symphonic writing. Skittering with pent-up energy from the first measures, it sweeps (with waves of string runs) from one variation of its march-like theme to another, eventually bringing it home with a thundering but controlled climax. It’s the kind of piece you love to play “air-baton” to.
On Friday, Edo de Waart’s reading of the movement was thrilling, and even caused more than a smattering of spontaneous applause from the Uihlein Hall audience. But de Waart’s true skill as a conductor was yet to come, for the fourth movement of “The Pathetique” affects a strange transformation, from jubilation to wrenching sadness. And de Waart brought out every somber emotion, starting with the beautifully phrased string chorale that opens the movement. For a conductor who seems to thrive on efficiency and emotional directness, de Waart didn’t hesitate to fully round each phrase and leave the silences open.
He did the same in Faure’s suite from Pelleas and Melisande, which opened the concert, though appropriately for Faure, the lyricism was more ethereal and lush than gut-wrenching. While the Tchaikovsky fireworks were rousing, it was equally mesmerizing to hear the orchestra handle Faure’s swells and fades with such sensitivity and precision.
The same can be said for Joseph Johnson, who played the Saint-Saens Cello Concerto as a sort of pinch hitter for Japanese violinist Masafumi Hori, who had travel problems and couldn’t play the scheduled pair of pieces by Toru Takemitsu. Johnson’s casual manner—he has the air of a jazz musician when stepping up to solo—brought great feeling to the lines without sacrificing the music’s integrity. It was a terrific concert from start to finish.