The Madison Symphony Orchestra welcomed its second guest conductor of the season, Michael Stern, to Overture Hall to perform the MSO debut of Jonathan Leshnoff’s Rush. We also welcomed back piano soloist Garrick Ohlsson to perform Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor. The weekend ended with a stunning performance of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. Read below for reviews and photos!
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Madison Symphony’s ‘Momentum’ is a rush of adrenaline
Noah Fellinger // Cap Times
Overture Hall was bursting with frenetic energy at the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s latest concert, “Momentum,” Friday evening.
The MSO began the evening with Grammy-nominated composer Jonathan Leshnoff’s “Rush for Orchestra.” Composed in 2008, “Rush for Orchestra” is a short, kinetic piece requiring Olympic stamina. Guest conductor Michael Stern, a potential successor to maestro John DeMain, aptly described the piece as “a rush of adrenaline.”
The piece jolts to life with a declaration by the brass, soon overtaken by the frenzied orchestra. The energy continues to build, occasionally interrupted by placid clarinet solos. The furvor returns stronger after each moment of repose, replete with blaring trumpets and whining strings. Just as the excitement seems to be coming to a head, an abrupt trumpet blare cuts the piece short, choking off the climax.
Read the full review on The Cap Times’ website
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Conductor Stern Ambles to MSO Podium
Bill Wineke // Madison Independent Arts Review
The Madison Symphony Orchestra is deploying a number of guest conductors this season and next as Music Director John DeMain prepares for retirement.
This weekend, Michael Stern, who retired as music director of the Kansas City Symphony in 2023 took the stage. Stern, the son of famed violinist Isaac Stern, turns 65 in December and is probably not seeking to replace DeMain. But he does bring a distinct style to the podium.
Soloist for this weekend’s performances is pianist Garrick Ohlsson, who has played here five times previously and is pretty much part of our music scene.
Now there is music involved in the concerts, which are repeated Saturday night and Sunday afternoon, and we will get to that.
But I’ve been fascinated by the differing ways music leaders present themselves to the audience.
DeMain strides in from the wings and takes possession of the podium. He is known for the crispness and clarity he brings out from his musicians and that’s also the way he presents himself.
Stern pretty much ambles to the podium, half waves to someone in the audience and, after a while, climbs the podium. There’s a sense in which his style resembles that of the MSO organist, Greg Zelek. He doesn’t tell stories or introduce his mother, but one senses that he could.
Ohlsson neither strides nor ambles. He almost lumbers. A big man, Ohlsson immediately lowers the height of the piano bench and launches into the music. There is little verve or flourish in his style but he makes the keyboard do things few others can accomplish.
Ohlsson played Edvar Grieg’s “Piano Concerto in A minor,” one of the most familiar pieces of classical music around and it was wonderful to hear.
But his encore, a Chopin Nocturne, brought down the house. Ohlsson’s large hands played the piece almost like lacework, dainty and moving.
The main symphonic piece at this weekend’s concerts is Dimitri Shastakovich’s Fifth Symphony, a piece that premiered in 1937 while the composer was in deep trouble with Josef Stalin, who had attended a Shastakovich opera a year earlier and left in a rage. Surprisingly enough, all the reviews of that opera were negative.
But the symphony, which the composer titled a “practical answer of a Soviet artist to justified criticism,” was a great success, mostly because it is a great piece of music.
It takes 45 minutes to play and must be absolutely exhausting for the performers, including two harpists and a triangle player who seemed to be as activist as the guy who plays timpani.
All in all, it is a totally enjoyable performance all round.
Hear what the audience had to say…
“Quality of the musical performance of MSO throughout, in particular in Shostakovich. Incredible virtuosity and musicianship of soloist Garrick Ohlsson.”
“The Shostakovich was phenomenal. Perfectly paced and just stunning. Listening to Garrick Ohlsson’s Chopin encore was also a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
“The Orchestra was exceptional, as well! The brass sounded fantastic, the strings sublime as usual, the woodwinds were crisp, percussion perfect in support and volume. Harps were wonderful.”
“Mr. Ohlsson is absolutely my favorite living pianist, and his performance of the Grieg was a great demonstration why. It was incredible!”
“Michael Stern elicited the most exquisite performance from the Orchestra in all three pieces. The Grieg with Garrick Ohlsson was particularly wonderful. I’d heard Ohlsson and the Beethoven in 2022, which I thought he’d phoned in. But Ohlsson and Stern and the orchestra crackled with energy, musicality, and connection.”
“MSO is SO good! (see what I did there?!) And this was my first time hearing Mr Ohlsson-what a great pianist!”
“This concert was perfect in every way. The Prelude discussion pre-concert was interesting and fun. I enjoyed getting to know a bit about Michael Stern and his philosophy of conducting as community service.”
“The music was exceptional and flowed easily in one accord through the musicians. Just beautiful!”
