Word: pizzicati
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...indeed the work was all it promised to be. A technically immaculate, lyrically impeccable, utterly dazzling spectacle, it was a truly astounding pyrotechnic display, a delicious frenzy of vibrant melodies, pizzicati flurries of fast notes, vigorous chords, and just general virtuostic brilliance. Gil Shaham was obviously in his element, a consummate performer to the very end. On top of that, he tossed it off exuberantly, making it all look completely effortless and fun-that litmus test of true performance magic...
After a first half that seemed to stretch on too long, it was perhaps wise to choose Shostakovich's brief, energetic First Synphony to round out the program. The piece's vocabulary was quite different than the Beethoven which had come before, with angular themes, surreptitious-sounding pizzicati, and highly percussive tutti throughout. This idiom seemed to bring out a better side of the orchestra, which took the difficult rhythms in stride, found the wit in some of Shostakovich's jazz-inflected themes, and produced an impressive tone in the louder passages. Maybe HRO felt some affinity with the piece...
...viola in his youth, Cordero fashioned a highly idiomatic solo part. Nevertheless the writing twists fiendishly and Allen plays equal to every demand. His intonation is absolutely secure in huge leaps, and he always maintains control of his bowing arm. He negotiates all the double stops, harmonics, left-hand pizzicati and tricky rhythms without a hitch...
...Pellas and Melisande, composed as incidental music to the Maeterlinck dramatic poem. Biss achieved a good variety of sonorities in the four richly orchestrated movements. In the Prelude the orchestra sounded rich and as one unit; at other times, as in the second movement, subdued violins contrasted sharply with pizzicati in the celli and wood-wind solos. The dance-like quality attained in the third movement was excellent. The music lost direction, however, in the Marche Funebre, when Biss had to struggle to keep the dotted rhythms under control...
...Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis could have been received either as a magnificent catharsis or as an offensive, over-extended tear-jerker. The audience chose the cathartic interpretation, even though the members of the string orchestra did not end their chords together, did not play their pizzicati together, and did not all tune to the standard of pitch habitual in civilized countries...