Let’s Call This …

Among Joshua Bell’s recorded works, I have heard several excellent interpretations, including some that I would count among my favorites. His technique, tone, and phrasing engage me in a music in a way only a few musicians can. To see him walk out onto the stage this evening at Symphony Hall, to play one of my favorite pieces with the Boston Symphony Orchestra led by Yan Pascal Tortelier was an instant delight, in anticipation of what was to come. Together, they performed the Brahms Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77. It was my first time to see it live, and what a wondrous occasion it proved to be.

The grand sound of the BSO in the hall is best experienced from center first balcony. I realized this during Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite (1945) — that the dynamics were so palpable from this vantage point gave me a profoundly new appreciation of Symphony Hall. First Balcony, Row A, Seat 21. One day I might have to purchase that seat. In the meanwhile, I was more than happy to make due with Row C, Seat 18. I felt as if I lost nothing of Bell’s solo violin from this location, though there is something to be said for having a seat close to C18 in the orchestra, where the soloist(s) are larger than life and the sound is completely enveloping.

From the first sweet note of the bassoon, the BSO moved through the first passage leading to the first solo entrance some 87 bars in with energy, culminating with a build up for Bell’s entrance that nearly felt like the end of a movement instead of the beginning. Bell entered passages grandly, though it was clear in a very few spots that passion would defeat accuracy on intonation of some impossibly high sections and on the execution of a few of the earlier chords. He seemed to be teetering precariously on the edge of control in a few fleeting moments on the highest of forte sections near the beginning. It did not detract but for a frightful moment, however, and Bell quickly held his composure and proceeded to command the first movement brilliantly. Upon anticipation at the cadenza, the hall fell as silent as I’ve ever heard it at capacity, as we held our collective breaths through the sheer magnificence of Bell’s perfect execution of his solo. I do not know the origins of the cadenza (whether he wrote it or if it was part of some standard repertoire), but I am dying already to hear it again and again. It challenged one’s understanding of the central themes, weaving in and out of familiarity and adding a new depth with colorful chords that tricked one into hearing a fullness from the solo instrument that was unexpected. The movement finishes shortly after, and I had to actively withhold my applause, though it most certainly would have been warranted in that space, especially in consideration of the cadenza.

Of course, I am least familiar with the second movement Adagio, but this performance gave me a new appreciation of the beauty in the theme, first conveyed by the purity of the oboe, to be later followed by the solo violin. Violinist Pablo de Sarasate reportedly had little patience in waiting for the oboe to finish this theme, but had he been here tonight, perhaps he would have missed his own entrance in awe of the song. The theme is pleasant, contemplative, and the sweetness of Bell’s tone throughout the Adagio moved me more than any other performance I’ve witnessed — ever. I won’t soon forget how I finally came to understand the Adagio this evening.

And yet, his performance confidence must have only grown, as the gypsy third movement was vibrant; it was clear to me that Bell was enjoying himself on stage throughout. The performance marked for me the hallmark of the Brahms by which all others will be undoubtedly compared. Even though, in a few sections, Bell and the BSO’s interpretation was slightly different than one I prefer, mostly in the choice of tempo and some of the articulation, certainly nothing was egregiously out of place, and Bell’s execution and tonal maturity were on full display tonight. It would be unfair to the Tchaikovsky to allow tonight’s excellent performance cause the Brahms to usurp it for absolute top violin concerto spot in my mind, but as soon as I was unsure how to gain further depth into the music of Brahms, this concert set me completely straight. I look forward to a lifetime of hearing equally excellent performances of this piece, starting with this Saturday night, with completely clear expectations of what to look forward to in Bell and the BSO’s performance.