The Observer, January 28, 2005
Volume XXXVII, Issue 15
Sold-out Severance concert celebrates Case community, world-clas
The third annual Case Concert Celebration was held Tuesday in a sold-out Severance Hall. Those who attended – a mixed crowd of professors, administration, students, and other community members– were entitled to some of the finest catering in town – and an open bar! For the price of a $5 ticket, no undergraduate can complain about that.
But there's more!
The performance opened when President Edward Hundert took the stage and expressed his appreciation to the numerous benefactors, The Payne Fund, and "the best orchestra in the world in the company of the best people in the world." He even threw in a joke about the Baker Building demolition.
Before closing his remarks,President Hundert announced a new collaborative development between Case and Severance Hallentitled "The Distinguished Lecture Series." The first lecture will present Steven Pinker, the renowned Harvard linguist and cognition expert, on Mar. 14 at 4 p.m. in Severance Hall.
Following those words, conductor Franz Welser-Möst took the stage along with internationally renowned pianist Radu Lupu. Last Sunday, Lupu performed Beethoven's 4th Piano Concerto, and in this concert he amazed the audience with both Beethoven's 2nd and 3rd Piano Concerti. In his idiosyncratic manner, Lupu reclined in a chair rather than a piano bench. This, however, had no negative effect on his playing style. In the opening movement "Allegro con Brio" of the 2nd Concerto, his tight intonation and light playing was unrivaled. Even while fully immersed in a passage, his gaze would turn to the orchestra, allowing him to fully interact with the musicians.
The second movement only heightened the interaction as Lupu patiently waited while the orchestra opened with an expressive mourning yet passionate entrance. Lupu also composed and performed his own cadenzas for this concerto – showing his true mastery of the era and piece. Roy Harris' 3rd Symphony, a modern and American composition, fell between Beethoven's works. Harris opens his symphony with a melodic cello line interrupted by harsh violas. As the bass and subsequently the rest of the orchestra joins in, Harris uses parallel fifths and other modal themes to awaken the American West motif. All right, so the piece is a bit out there, but give it a chance and you might find yourself liking it. The kettle drum in the fourth section, a fugue, made the music intense and interesting to say the least.
After a brief intermission, Radu Lupu sat back on his chair and performed Beethoven's 3rd Concerto. Wait... haven't we heard this one before? Yes, it was only early November of last year that we heard Mitsuko Uchida perform this exact same piece. That being said, I find it fair to compare the two performances. Uchida, who is very passionate, lacked some of the sangfroid that Lupu brought to the stage. In Uchida's defense, she not only performed the concerto but directed at the same time, which is no small feat! Nonetheless, I found Lupu's overall performance to be much more relaxing and enjoyable. The highlight of the evening was the end of the first movement's cadenza as the pianist continues to build with the orchestra to a dramatic finale with the timpani.
This week's moral is "Open bars attract a lot of people to events." Not really a moral, but more of an observation. While the catering and bar will not be quite as accessible, the tickets for students are still only $10-$15 through the Severance box office. Come hear Radu Lupu perform both Beethoven's 1st and 5th Piano Concerti today and tomorrow, and you will be amazed!
