South Florida Classical Review

Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra in music of Brahms Thursday night at the Arsht Center in Miami.

In recent years, the Philadelphia Orchestra has appeared several times in South Florida, invariably with guest conductors. On Wednesday night the “Fabulous Philadelphians” finally played in Miami under Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the ensemble’s music director since 2012. Both conductor and orchestra shone at their considerable best in a program of two Brahms symphonies at the Arsht Center.

Nézet-Séguin is one of the world’s busiest conductors. In addition to his Philadelphia position, he is music director of the Metropolitan Opera and the Orchestre Metropolitan of Montreal as well as a regular guest conductor of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Recently he led the Vienna Philharmonic’s annual New Year’s Concert which was televised widely around the world. 

Nézet-Séguin, a charismatic leader, clearly has a strong rapport with his players. Conducting without baton or scores, he drew vibrant playing from the orchestra. The storied Philadelphia sound, forged during the heyday of Leopold Stokowski and Eugene Ormandy’s leadership, remains very much intact.

It took a few minutes for Nézet-Séguin and the musicians to acclimate to the Arsht acoustic. At the outset of the first movement of Brahms’ Symphony No. 3 in F Major, the brass tended to overwhelm the other instrumental sections. By the time of the exposition repeat, Nézet-Séguin had adjusted the balances. The molten undertow of the lower strings provided a uniquely velvety Brahmsian cushion of sound. Winds emerged mellow and warm. 

Maintaining moderate tempos, the conductor brought a sense of flow to the thematic episodes, molding the movement’s larger sculpture. This was not heroic or monumental Brahms but a reading tinged with lyricism. That was especially evident in the pastoral melodies of the Andante, but the music’s darker underpinnings were conveyed through subtle variations of dynamics. 

The romanticism of the Poco allegretto was unforced, marked by a steady, rounded pulse. Nézet-Séguin finally unleashed the orchestra’s firepower in a taut, hard charging traversal of the Allegro finale, replete with contrasts of volume and shading. The brass chorales near the symphony’s conclusion were almost Wagnerian in sonority and velocity with a magisterial coda.

Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 in E minor is the darkest and most enigmatic of the composer’s symphonies. Nézet-Séguin maintained tension and unflagging rhythmic impetus, giving equal weight to the martial motifs and glints of melodic riches in the opening Allegro non troppo. The strings displayed a full-bodied, glowing sound in the secondary subject of the Andante moderato. Nézet-Séguin brought out supple details like the softly plucked strings beneath the movement’s initial wind theme. 

An invigorating Allegro giocoso was taken at a fast clip but never seemed rushed. The final passacaglia was directed with a firm hand, never becoming diffuse, episodic or over heated, as can happen in less well-conceived performances. Among the fine individual playing, the pure toned flute and multi-colored clarinet solos took special pride of place in this stirring, highly satisfying and idiomatic performance.

Following the loud cheering and a standing ovation, Nézet-Séguin addressed the audience. After thanking them for their enthusiasm, he expressed the hope that the orchestra would play in Miami on a regular basis. He concluded “Let’s make this a residency” to prolonged applause before waving good night to the audience and players. 

If there are plans for an annual or semi-annual Philadelphia residency at the Arsht (in addition to the Cleveland Orchestra’s yearly three week stint), local music lovers and visitors would be the beneficiaries.

Editor note: An Arsht spokesman shared the following statement from the Philadelphia Orchestra with SFCR on Friday about a potential residency. “We value our relationship with the Adrienne Arsht Center and look forward to continuing to build on that partnership in Miami.”

The Arsht Center classical music series presents the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields with violinist and leader Joshua Bell playing Charles Ives’ Variations on America, Saint-Saëns’ Violin Concerto No. 3 and Schumann’s Symphony No. 1 (Spring)  7:30 p.m March 14. at the Arsht Center in Miami. arshtcenter.org

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