As I return from my dead-of-winter hiatus in blogging, I find that I am constantly fine-tuning my notion of what my blogs ought to do and ought to cover in the age of Covid-19.
In the case of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, I have chosen to leave aside previously-filmed concerts with live audiences. I've also passed on reviewing one-off performances reserved exclusively for the orchestra's subscribers and donors.
The concert I'm covering now is available online, from the TSO's "On Demand" section of the website, and can be purchased by anyone for their enjoyment. It was filmed in October 2020, under appropriate socially-distanced conditions, in Roy Thomson Hall.
Of course, all social distancing rules were observed -- which meant, among other things, that the three wind players in Lebel and Beethoven had to each perform in separate plexiglass cubicles. Of necessity, then, each player had to be separately miked for recording purposes. Those plexiglass surrounds must also have made it more challenging than normal for all the players to hear each other in quieter moments -- not that you could discern any ill effects in the final product.
As Artistic Director Gustavo Gimeno pointed out in his pre-concert remarks, chamber music effectively formed the crucible in which the modern orchestra came into being. The TSO has gone a long way to justify the idea of presenting chamber music as the work of a major orchestra by using an almost totally different cast of musicians in each work, giving a grand total of 17 orchestra members involved. The names of the players in each work are given in a complete list at the end of the concert video.
The anchor point, and title work of the concert, is Beethoven's Septet in B-Flat Major, Op. 20. In this performance, it is preceded by the sole completed movement of Schubert's String Trio in B-Flat Major, D.471, and by a contemporary work from the TSO's Affiliate Composer, Emilie LeBel.
The Schubert was treated to a spirited performance, full of light and energy to lift the spirits. As so often with Schubert's music, we are reminded that the composer was one of the pre-eminent melodists of all music.
Lebel's work from 2018 followed in the line of so many other contemporary works with a descriptive, wordy title: Haareis auf Morschem Holz ("hair ice on rotten wood"). A brief note explains how the composer was inspired by the evocation of nature in Beethoven's music. Lebel set her work for the same ensemble of seven instruments used by Beethoven in his Septet.
A long, wandering melodic line for the bassoon opened the piece, surrounded and succeeded by light, diaphanous textures in the strings and sustained notes on the horn. The strings then took up the lead with a distinct melodic line of their own. In this piece, Lebel presents ample melodic material in a predominantly diatonic yet still contemporary musical language. The end of the music fades away with a few final quiet tremolando effects.
The main offering of the programme, the Septet in E-flat Major, Op. 20, brought crisp, energetic playing from all, without in the least overloading the music with too much emphasis. The character of this well-loved work is really that of a serenade, the six movements providing a suite of contrasted musical experiences that would be completely in place during the coffee and port after dinner -- this in spite of the fact that the private premiere in 1799 was soon followed by a public performance on the same concert programme as the First Symphony.
The lively, upbeat first movement set the tone for the work admirably. In the second, the clarinet and violin both sang the melodic lines with as much cantabile as you could ask. The third movement minuet danced congenially, the music never ponderous or heavy in any way. The horn and clarinet decorations in the contrasting middle section were a delight.
The fourth movement theme and variations brought stylish playing from all in the increasingly elaborate variations. Energetic horn playing, evoking the hunting horns of the day, led off a beautifully sprung reading of the scherzo. The molto vivace of the scherzo was succeeded by a slower minuet tempo in the trio, giving a quaint lolloping feel to the music. The slow introduction of the finale led on to a rousing account of the presto main section of the movement, bringing the Septet and the entire concert to a most satisfying conclusion.
This delightful programme remains available for live streaming on the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's website until March 4. Once you've purchased a ticket, you can view the concert as many times as you wish. I've already watched it three times, which will give you an idea of how enjoyable it is.
Here's the link to purchase a ticket for this performance, and for next month's performance of the Vivaldi Four Seasons:
