De Salle Entices Symphony Hall

A typical Thursday night in Boston is not as typical as it would seem when a visit is made to Boston Symphony Hall for the latest show.

As Boston Symphony's season unfolds, performances continue to deliver an array of varied artistry that brings fresh figures into the city and to our ears. This past week, Fabio Luisi and Lisa de Salle were in the spotlight, bringing with them romanticized styles imported from Europe.

Opening the program was a tranquil and very French "Pastorale D'Ete, Symphonic Poem," composed by Arthur Honegger. Honegger, one of the six French composers of the "Groupe des Six," was a member of a 1920s cluster of revolutionary artists. In listening to the "Pastorale D'Ete," audience members are walked through scenes of soft imagery. Every passage is met with silken woodwinds swelling back and forth. The French horn could carry the whole orchestra upon its back with its melody while the background noise added mellow coloring, sharing its melody with the violins. The bassoon would every so often enter in and out the piece with a recurring theme becoming an ornamented wave of motion. The elegant instrumental splendor was a reflection of the conductor, Fabio Luisi, who led the orchestra to lull the audience into a daze. Luisi, hailing from Italy, was a featured guest of Symphony Hall. With an impressive repertoire of orchestras he has directed, including the Vienna Symphony, he is currently working as music director at the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan. It was clear that the French impressionist movement influenced Honegger, as his notes never spoke harshly and could most easily be translated to a tangible painting from Paul Cezanne or Claude Monet.

Next was the entrance of pianist Lisa de Salle into the program. The night became exponentially uplifted as she walked on stage in an electric blue gown and met the piano with a similar zest. Her energy at the keys was hailed by the audience, which gave her outstanding ovations. A 21-year-old from France, she began playing the piano at the age of four and has since won numerous competitions of virtuosic proportions. Playing Camille Saint-Saens "Piano Concerto No.2 in G minor," de Salle led the audience through a whirlwind of emotions. The first movement, "Andante sostenuto" (meaning a piece of a slower tempo and rhythm), exposed her stern approach to her intentions at the piano. She applied utmost control and focus to the notes. Her focus, however,  is not a severity. She maintains a balance between focused strength and the gentle product of what arrives at one's ear.

 Her next piece, "Allegro scherzando," was very playful and a bit swifter than the previous as the tempo allegro suggests. Again, she represented Saint-Saens technically challenging lines with professionalism. The last movement, "Presto," was a furious tornado of passages that reflected the mastery of La Salle at the helm.

Her geometric precision is a style that has listeners hearing the equation and nodding "yes, it all makes sense, and it's quite beautiful." She was so in control that before she committed to a dramatic phrase, La Salle made eye contact with conductor Luisi so as to guarantee perfection.

The feats that she achieved beg us to explore the notion that she will become a fixture on the world stage.

The night closed with a piece written by Igor Stravinsky, "Petrushka, Burlesque in Four Scenes," a tribute to the artistry of Luisi and his energetic demeanor. The sound of these pieces had Russian influences and created to be performed as a ballet. Emphasis on the percussion instruments was made with cymbals, bass drums, tam-tam, tambourine creating atmospheres that festive and uniquely Stravinksy. The four scenes inherent in the title revealed the imagery of a cartoon-like playfulness married with European sophistication.

 The first scene echoed this playfulness as we learn that Stravinsky's intention was to portray a puppet rolling a ball upon the keys of a piano. The last scene, however, took on the characterization of an active darkness. Requiring much more force from Luisi thandid the Allegro, this piece requested bellows from the orchestra controlled by Luisi's physical dedication as he raised volumes in powerful swoops.

The night was headlined by two phenomenal and talented guest artists who truly brought about an exploration of personalities in the Boston Symphony. From the peaceful scenes of Honegger, the dramatics of Saint-Saens, or the celebratory sounds of Stravinsky, music was honestly represented. Luisi and La Salle glittered the Hall with ambition and skill. Boston will be happy to welcome their return any Thursday night they please.