Review: MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS CONDUCTS THE NY PHILHARMONIC at David Geffen Hall

MTT performs THE GREAT Schubert

By: Mar. 16, 2023
Review: MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS CONDUCTS THE NY PHILHARMONIC at David Geffen Hall
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Review: MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS CONDUCTS THE NY PHILHARMONIC at David Geffen Hall
Michael Tilson Thomas. Photos by: Fadi Kheir

Sunday's performance at the NY Philharmonic was nothing short of a lovefest. From the moment MTT entered the auditorium until after his last standing ovation, curtain call - well over two hours later.

Tilson Thomas began the program with his own Meditations on Rilke. His recording of "Meditations" won the 2021 GRAMMY Award for Best Classical Compendium. "Meditations" proved a perfect platform for two wonderful soloists: mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and bass-baritone, Dashon Burton. Tilson Thomas has stated that the cycle is deeply personal, rooted in his musical and familial heritage going back to his great-grandfather. "Music was a kind of lifelong journal, or confessional companion, into which new entries were always being added. It is much the same for me, and in composing these Meditations on Rilke, whose poems are so varied in mood and character, my own lifelong 'musical journal' was a lens through which to view and express this poetry."

Review: MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS CONDUCTS THE NY PHILHARMONIC at David Geffen Hall Loosely modeled on Mahler's Das Lied von der Erde, (there is even a brief quotation from Das Lied in the introduction) Tilson Thomas navigate the common themes of Autumn, drinking, and death-"October Day," "The Song the Drunkard Sing," "Autumn." Cooke's warm, burnished tones fit the music perfectly. Burton's dark, ever so slightly rough-edged sound gave an intimate, almost conversational quality to his selections.

After a brief intermission, Tilson Thomas literally bounded back to the podium. He shared a private joke with the orchestra which caused an outburst of laughter in the violins just before the down beat. The tiny gesture spoke volumes about the love and respect between conductor and orchestra.

Given its status as beloved repertory staple, it's almost inconceivable that Schubert's "Great" Symphony never received even a single performance in his lifetime. The composer's poverty and the symphony's intrinsic hurdles - initially referred to as way overlong and virtually unplayable - delayed its premiere till well over a decade after the composer's death.

Mendelssohn and Schumann adored the symphony, praising it's "heavenly length," but early audiences were not used to extended stretches of repeated material and were not as forgiving as more modern audiences.

Review: MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS CONDUCTS THE NY PHILHARMONIC at David Geffen Hall "The Great's" four movements feature constant, obsessive ostinato patterns. Tilson Thomas used the rhythmic devices as a propelling force driving the energy forward in exhilarating fashion.

That wonderful sense of forward motion was present throughout the performance, driving the music with a forward-leaning passion - a quality in short supply these days. The performance featured virtually no self-consciousness, here was a conductor not craving attention, but rather relishing in the joy and ecstasy in the music in an effortless manner.

In 2021, Maestro Tilson Thomas revealed that he was suffering from a Glioblastona Multiforme, an aggressive form of brain cancer. (on a personal note, it was the cancer that took my own father) He had a large tumor removed and has since continued with his conducting career, with little slowing down. Witnessing him in full flight, joyously engulfed in the music he so loves, was a cherished moment for this critic, who has followed him for decades.

Michael Tillson Thomas is an American treasure. No single musician has done more for classical music in America in the last 40 years. Thank you, Maestro. You have made our lives infinitely richer. We love you.

-Peter Danish




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