Symphony uncovers beauty in strangeness

The Spokane Symphony seldom has its classics concerts led by a guest conductor. It rarely programs modern works that might be called radical. And the orchestra plays few works by Polish composers.

But this weekend’s performances at the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox brought two outstanding Polish-born musicians to the forefront, guest conductor Michal Nesterowicz and violinist soloist Mateusz Wolski. The program included two major Polish works, including a nearly 50-year-old piece that still has the power to agitate – even anger – some in the audience.

Nesterowicz opened Saturday’s and Sunday’s concerts with Witold Lutoslawski’s “Venetian Games.” Lutoslawski carefully writes out the parts for 29 solo players. But he often requires each player to determine the speed of each section and allows the players to determine exactly where their parts begin. Nesterowicz directed only the start and end of those sections.

A recipe for chaos? Seemingly. But attentive listening led this listener, at least, to hear the unusual way Lutoslawski’s sounds could combine at various levels of density and rates of speed, as though the music were written on sheets of rubber that could be stretched or compressed. The sounds of fluttering and buzzing in some spots reminded me of Béla Bartók’s “night music” effects in his concertos and quartets. But Lutoslawski retained his own voice. The four movements of “Venetian Games” lasted little more than 10 minutes. But there was much to hear and think about.

For something completely different, Spokane Symphony concertmaster Wolksi played Mieczyslaw Karlowicz’s Violin Concerto. Completed in 1902, this wonderfully romantic work has rarely been performed outside Poland. Listening to the concerto Saturday, I wondered why.

Karlowicz spun out tunes worthy to sit alongside those by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky or Max Bruch or Jean Sibelius. And the Polish master provided hair-raising difficulties to challenge even the greatest virtuosos. Wolski delivered the composer’s lyricism with passionate intensity and his acrobatics with virtuoso flair. Wolski’s memory slip in the finale Saturday was unsettling but only momentary. The soloist made a clear case that Karlowicz’s concerto should be heard more often

After intermission, Nesterowicz returned to lead a brilliant performance of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5. “What can you say about Tchiakovsky’s Fifth Symphony?” a friend asked me after the concert.

I can say only that Nesterowicz and the orchestra players showed what a terrific symphony this is. It is loaded in every bar with strong emotion expressed in great melodies and colorful harmonies through relentless rhythms, whether slow or fast, using some of the most inventive orchestration ever produced.

Beginning with Chip Phillips’ quiet clarinet solo through some fine horn solo passages from Jennifer Sgriggins Brummett to its stormy, brassy finale, this was a performance that deserved and received a prolonged standing ovation. It gave a rousing end to an adventurous evening.