Choral Brahms and Symphonic Tchaikovsky

Conductor Nathalie Stutzmann (photograph by Simon Fowler, courtesy of SFS)

Last night in Davies Symphony Hall, Nathalie Stutzmann made her debut conducting the San Francisco Symphony (SFS). Her program coupled the choral music of Johannes Brahms with the symphonic work of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. For the Brahms half of the program, the SFS ensemble was joined by the SFS Chorus directed by Valerie Sainte-Agathe.

The three choral works were last performed by SFS in May of 1989, when they were led by then Music Director Herbert Blomstedt. In order of presentation, the selections were “Nänie” (Opus 82 composed in 1881). “Gesang der Parzen” (song of the fates, Opus 89 composed in 1882), and “Schicksalslied (song of destiny, Opus 54 composed in 1871). These are dark compositions setting texts by three major poets in the German language. In “order of appearance” these were Friedrich Schiller, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and Friedrich Hölderlin. Opus 89 was composed for six-part choir, while the other two selections had four-part settings. All three were given rich instrumental accompaniment. By way of context for instrumentation, the Opus 83 (second) piano concerto in B-flat major was composed between 1878 and 1881; and the two orchestral overtures, “Academic Festival” and “Tragic,” were composed in 1880.

Stutzmann was clearly in her comfort zone in leading these three choral offerings. She arranged seating for the choristers suitable for both four-part and six-part arrangements. The rich vocal sonorities blended consistently with the diverse instrumental resources. If the texts (given English translations for the program book by Chorus member Noam Cook) tended towards pessimistic rhetoric, one could still appreciate the interweaving of the rich textures provided for both chorus and orchestra.

Those instrumental resources were put in play just as effectively in the Tchaikovsky selection for the second half of the program, the Opus 74 (sixth) symphony in B minor, given the title “Pathétique.” I am sure that I am not the only reader that has had to endure a performance of this symphony that indulged in excessive rhetoric of pathos. The fact is that the music speaks perfectly well for itself and does not need a conductor to underscore every emotional declaration in the score.

Stutzmann was clearly deeply involve in this music at a personal level. However, her priority was to make sure that all of the dark expressiveness would emerge from the clarity of an ensemble placing the marks on the score pages ahead of any heart-on-sleeve indulgence. As a result, SFS found the sweet spot between technical attentiveness and dramatic intensity.

The late nineteenth century never sounded so aesthetically satisfying.