Bruckner's heavenly length

In case you couldn't find the symphony review Friday night, here it is. Let me know what you thought about the concert:

Composer Anton Bruckner is known for the heavenly length of his symphonies. On Friday, Bruckner’s Symphony No. 5 performed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra clocked in at 75 minutes, but under the baton of Paavo Järvi, it was 75 minutes power, emotion and discovery.

Friday’s concert was something of a horn lover’s paradise, with Bruckner’s glorious brass-filled buildups, and the Richard Strauss Horn Concerto No. 2, featuring German horn virtuoso Marie Luise Neunecker.

Bruckner was an Austrian organist whose religious fervor and organ-like chorale themes permeate his nine symphonies. He’s credited with being the first to expand the symphony beyond the scope of Beethoven’s Ninth.

His Symphony No. 5 has an unsettled, almost schizophrenic quality about it, because it never completes one thought before moving on to the next. Massive brass outbursts interrupt lyrical themes; great swells in the strings suddenly drop to nothing.

Järvi’s view had tension, yet he also brought out the Austrian color that so many interpretors miss. In the first movement, a moment of tremolo strings set against flute evoked the countryside as beautifully as the landler (folk dance) in the third movement.

The work opened with an extraordinary atmosphere in the strings, and exploded into a powerful brass chorale. There was a transparency of texture, in which details sprang out, and every note was meaningful.

Bruckner can be repetitious – but Järvi never let the momentum sag. Indeed, its sheer unpredictability of quirkiness and power kept one riveted. The scherzo movement had a kind of fierce power simmering beneath the surface, that alternated with Mahler-like moments of sunny lightness.

The musicians gave it their all, the winds phrasing with wonderful color, the horns glowing and the string ensemble shining. Richard Jensen’s timpani rolls brought each movement to a stirring climax.

There were multiple peaks and valleys before the final ascent, with the full power of the orchestra in all its sonic glory. It was an awe-inspiring summation that had the crowd instantly on its feet.

Opening the evening, Neunecker, who has based her career in Europe, made her debut in Strauss’ Horn Concerto No. 2 in E-flat Major. It has none of the angst of the time in which it was composed -- World War II – but is joyous and warm.

Neunecker is a superb musician, whose tone glowed, and whose phrasing was peerless. She projected a beautiful line through Strauss’ romantic themes, and performed with flourish in the blustery moments.

The slow movement had a lovely autumnal quality, and the finale was rolicking. Jarvi’s orchestra was lush and full of character.

The concert repeats at 8 p.m. today in Music Hall. (513) 381-3300.
E-mail jgelfand@enquirer.com