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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

I felt as though I was in a farce Saturday night, listening to the Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra perform their all-Tchaikovsky program as part of the Harriman-Jewell Series.  Perhaps my critique is tarnished by reading an earlier article in the New York Times. (Click here to read the article)  

The article, in addition to exploring the very low pay for musicians and deplorable travel conditions, questions the validity of calling the ensemble the Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra because of the number of freelance substitutes and conservatory-born fillers.  In looking at the personnel list on Saturday's program versus the performers on stage, I do not doubt the Times' assertions.  The gender-specific names did not remotely match the personnel on stage.

Whether or not we were attending an MSRSO concert is another matter, but we definitely listened to some poorly performed Tchaikovsky.  The programming on first glance looked delicious with the "Polonaise" from Eugene Onegin, Mozartiana Suite and the Polish Symphony.  Russians after all, even when performing at subpar levels, have a certain reputation for showcasing an empathy and zest for their countryman's music.

Alas for the Harriman Jewell Series and for Kansas City that this performance was near the end of a grueling eleven week U.S. tour...

The fanfare opening of the "Polonaise" was executed well by the trumpets, but things quickly unraveled.  As soon as the rest of the winds and strings entered it was evident that this was not an American orchestra.  The string vibrato was inconsistent throughout the sections with some played fast and narrow, while others were slow and wide.  The overall effect sounded like a HiFi LP.  The wind playing was also noticeably different as the double reeds frequently played without vibrato, even in solo passages.  The brass sounds had a harder edge than those heard in American orchestras.

Suite No. 4, Op. 61 "Mozartiana" is a charming piece and I certainly cannot fault Tchaikovsky's playful use of Mozart themes.  Throughout the four-movement work there were balance issues between the winds and strings.  It may have been where I was seated in the hall, but in talking with others during intermission I heard similar complaints.  The third movement, a reimagining of the Ave verum corpus, started strong with some excellent harp playing, but was quickly overshadowed by intonation discrepancies between the flute and clarinet.  The theme and variations fourth movement caused many cellists to simply stop playing in the middle of a difficult run. The poor concertmistress was visibly nervous in performing the solo passages.

Symphony No. 3 in D Major, Op. 29 "Polish" did not fare much better and many of the issues that plagued the Mozartiana Suite were also present in this Symphony.  The first violins seemed unsure of every entrance that was not the melody.  Intonation issues in cellos and a solo bassoon without vibrato ruined the second movement.  The third movement, marked "Andante elegiaco," was played like an "Allegretto giocoso."   The wave-live scherzo was probably the best performed music for the entire evening - although some of the instrumental trade-offs were not balanced.  I can say that the horns played well throughout the movement.  The final movement showed sloppy offbeat playing by the upper strings under an out-of-tune wind melody, and the final chords were obliterated by an over-exuberant brass section.  After playing a passage the strings would throw their instruments into their laps as if they could not wait to be done playing.  That sort of indifference was a recurrent theme throughout the night.   

Music director and conductor Alexei Kornienko displayed clean baton work, excellent communication and dealt with missed entrances and musicians who were clearly lost like a seasoned pro.  Poor Kornienko, I wanted to buy him a shot of vodka after this performance.

In a stellar instance of player apathy, one gentleman faked every passage he was supposed to play.  His stand partner shot him many side-long glances to no avail.  His visible acts of defiance, nonchalance and/or civil disobedience became a source of comedy for the rest of the night.  If I found my teeth grating at some wind intonation issue, shaking my head at the first violins' hesitancy on an entrance, or nearly falling out of my seat at overzealous cymbal crashes and obscenely overplayed brass final chords, I would simply look at that gentleman for a moment of head-clearing absurdity.  I was not the only patron to notice his antics.  If they had played Tchaikovsky's Dance of the Jesters for an encore instead of the Nutcracker Pas de deux, I could well have had an aneurism. 

Although the harp, principal horn, and trumpets did sound good in most instances, the overall performance was truly not indicative of "one of the best Moscow orchestras."

Harriman-Jewell Series
Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Folly Theater
12^th and Central Streets, Downtown Kansas City, MO
www.harriman-jewell.org

By Lee Hartman

Editor-in-Chief; Traditional and New Classical Contributor

Lee Hartman holds degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (D.M.A., M.M.) and the University of Delaware (B.M.). At the University of Delaware, he received a Dean's Scholar position enabling him to pursue an individually designed academic program combining music education and composition. At the University of Missouri-Kansas City he served for three years as the Assistant Director to Musica Nova, the conservatory's new music ensemble, while teaching a variety of composition classes.

In 2007 he was invited to both the Iceland Academy of the Arts in Reykjavík, Iceland and the Sichuan Conservatory in Chengdu, China to give lectures and master classes in composition. In the summer of 2009, Hartman served as an orchestra manager for the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble and Aspen Opera Theater Center for various performances. He serves on the National Executive Committee of the Society of Composers, Inc. as Submissions Coordinator. His primary composition instructors include James Mobberley, Chen Yi, Zhou Long, Paul Rudy, John Beall, and Jennifer Margaret Barker. He currently teaches music theory at the University of Central Missouri and general music classes at Park University having previously taught at UD (2007–08) and UMKC (2006–07).

His compositions can be found at http://www.leehartmanmusic.com

Comments(2):

1. MOSCOW STATE RADIO ORCHESTRA

   It is evident that the tour of the Moscow State Radio Orchestra is a scam, with unqualified players, students, probably a view "Russians" picked up in the US at the beginning of the tour, etc. CAMI, trading on the public's memories and knowledge of the great Soviet artists, insults American concert goers by thrusting this amateurish garbage on the public. Presenters, who are supposed to know their business, appear to be part of the scam. But you occupy a special place: YOU want to take KORNIENKO out for a drink. Poor Kornienko, with his unruly, rebellious, mutinous orchestra. A victim of his musicians. It is KORNIENKO who is responsible for this. He is the conductor. If the orchestra plays out of tune, can't play together, is lost two-thirds of the time ----Who is responsible? THE CONDUCTOR. Who takes an orchestra like this on tour? The CONDUCTOR. Of course, if you buy him a drink, perhaps he'll give you an interview and that means an article this time and a chat NEXT time round. Good planning, but a cheat on the public. So the critics write sad stories about students being underpaid. You write a pitiful tale of an underdog conductor victimized by this players. Readers want to send sandwiches, while the orchestra snoozes in Wyndham hotels. And, by the way, if a Russian orchestra is badly paid, plays badly and complains a lot, perhaps they need to have a talk with Mr. Putin. He suggested that leaders of the Russian Olympic Committee resign FAST, because the poor performance of the Russians in the Olympics was unacceptable. Perhaps a hurried resignation by Mr. Kornienko, Mr. Cole and all the rest may be necessary to bring this orchestra to acceptable standards.

   Friday, March 12, 2010 Meg

2. Moscow State Radio Symphony Orchestra

   Not a good concert, but what fun!

   Friday, March 12, 2010 Meg