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I agree

Posted by psgary (A) on March 10, 2007 at 08:27:10

In Reply to: Re: The old different strokes game posted by Todd Krieger on March 9, 2007 at 23:17:09:

Though I'm not familiar with the pianist, Dutoit has proved himself as a conductor, so if that's the way he chooses to interpret, I don't doubt its validity. I love his version of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with Kyung Wha Chung. It's the best, to my ears.

The soloist and band in this Tchaikovsky seem top-rate. She has a lot of energy at times. I would feel foolish saying the performance lacks credibility or artistic merit. It just doesn't strike my fancy.

To expand slightly on my point about Tchaikovsky, I think he's been given a bit of a bad rap. Many seem to view him as extremely emotional and lacking depth. Yet too many interpretations of old Petey Boy reduce his music to bathos, which seems unfair, though I'm not saying Dutoit's version does that. I feel his music often needs a lighter touch to bring out the best in it. Emphasizing his lyricism balances the obvious emotion in his work.

Tchaikovsky's Sixth Symphony is a common victim of this overly emotional approach. If you haven't heard Mravinsky's interpretation of it, I suggest you give it a listen. He's the only conductor I've heard so far who doesn't make the fourth movement an exercise in self pity.

Since you asked, as noted in my previous post, the opening tempo of the first movement is very traditional. Many conductors use a similar one. But the descending phrase that opens the concerto is extremely dramatic. That's what's so captivating. But the drama is self evident. There is no need to reinforce it. I think the tempo chosen tends to make it too heavy. Though the theme is dramatic, I feel it can soar, but Dutoit's tempo keeps it too earthbound.

Since you pointed to the fourth movement, my preference is for a more lyrical approach. For example, at about the 2:19 mark, when the theme is being developed, the pianist hesitates a nanosecond before playing the second chord. That is interesting, but I prefer greater flow there. Perhaps the slight synchopation emphasizes the drama. My feeling is that Tchaikovsky is inherently dramatic in most of his work and doesn't need much reinforcement.

She does a grand job of fireworks at the end and brings the work to a stirring climax, so I can't argue with her artistic skills and see why you are impressed. Mine is merely a difference of opinion, not a criticism of her abilities. I probably would have joined in the cheers. But given a choice of a different interpretation . . .

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