Concert Review: Nicholas McGegan presents Bach family values with the SLSO, January 30 and 31, 2015

Nicholas McGegan
nicholasmcgegan.com / Steve Sherman

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Who: The St. Louis Symphony conducted by Nicholas McGegan
What: Music of the Bach family
When: January 30 and 31, 2015
Where: Powell Symphony Hall, St. Louis

Sons who go into the family business are often less successful than their fathers. In the case of the J.S. Bach family, though, it was just the opposite. Four of the ten Bach children who survived to adulthood went on to careers as composers and the two represented in this weekend's St. Louis Symphony concerts—Carl Philipp Emanuel (1714-1788) and Johann Christian (1735-1782)—went on to eclipse dad in popularity, at least during their lives.

These days, of course, the work of the Bach sons is heard far less often than that of Papa Bach who, according to bachtrack.com, was the third most-performed composer in 2014. So it was quite a treat to hear guest conductor Nicholas McGegan and the SLSO perform their music alongside that of their far more famous father. If what's on the bill this weekend is at all representative, I'd say that while J.C. showed less of his dad's influence (not surprising as J.S. died when the boy was only 15), C.P.E was by far the more adventurous and original composer.

Andrea Kaplan
stlsymphony.org

J.C. Bach was represented by his "Sinfonia concertante in C major for Flute, Oboe, Violin, Cello, and Orchestra" (Warburton catalog number C43, in case you're keeping track) written in 1775 and first performed in March of that year in London, where J.C. made his home for many years (hence his sobriquet "The London Bach"). The sinfonia concertante—a symphonic work with two or more soloists—was a form on which the composer lavished a fair amount of attention (he wrote eighteen of them).

This one is certainly a classic example. The four soloists all get plenty of chances to show off (although I think the winds get the best stuff) and the piece is, overall, a typically charming example of the galante style, a school of composition characterized by elegant melodies and a lack of complex counterpoint. It's not especially absorbing music, but exceptionally well crafted.

That said the orchestra, and soloists, under Mr. McGegan's meticulous and energetic direction, made a credible case for the piece Friday morning. The soloists, all drawn from the SLSO, were Jennifer Nichtman on flute, Philip Ross on oboe, Ann Fink on violin, and Melissa Brooks on cello. Their playing had the kind of polish and grace that was a perfect match for the galante style.

Asako Kuboki
stlsymphony.org

Although written at around the same time as J.C. Bach's "Sinfonia concertante," C.P.E. Bach's "Sinfonia in D" (183/1 in Alfred Wotquenne's 1906 catalog of C.P.E.'s music) looks both backward to the Baroque legacy of his father and forward to the drama of the Romantic period. Filled with dramatic pauses and surprising modulations, the "Sinfonia" sounds rather modern even now. Mr. McGegan's interpretation was dramatic but never exaggerated, perfectly capturing the essence of this remarkable music.

If J.C. Bach perfectly captured a moment in musical history, C.P.E. Bach had an idiosyncratic vision that feels timeless. Maybe that's why we're seeing a major resurgence of interest in C.P.E. these days, with an uptick in recordings and performances and a new critical edition of his works published by the Packard Humanities Institute, in cooperation with the Bach-Archiv Leipzig, the Sächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig, and Harvard University. Let's hope we see more of his works on local stages.

J.S. Bach was represented by three works this weekend: the "Sinfonia" (essentially the overture) to his secular cantata "Non sa che sia dolore" (BWV 209), the "Concerto in D minor for Oboe, Violin, and Strings" (BWV 1060), and his popular "Orchestral Suite No. 3" (BWV 1068). The "Sinfonia" featured a bravura solo performance by Associate Principal Flute Andrea Kaplan while the "Concerto" was distinguished by the impeccable playing of SLSO second violinist Asako Kuboki and Principal Oboe Jelena Dirks. Their performance styles were very different—Ms. Dirks seemed to be more engaged with the orchestra while Mr. Kuboki apeared more focused on the score—but the results were uniformly excellent.

Jelena Dirks
www.loree-paris.com

Mr. McGegan and his forces brought the concert to an energetic close with a thoroughly entertaining reading of the "Orchestral Suite No. 3," highlighted by spectacular work from Karin Bliznik and her fellow trumpeters. Those smaller high-pitched instruments are hard to play at any time, I expect, let alone in the morning. Concertmaster David Halen had an impressive solo in the opening "Overture." Mr. McGegan brought him to his feet for a solo bow at the end, along with the trumpet section and oboists Barbara Orland and Cally Banham.

Next at Powell Hall: Stéphane Denève conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra with piano soloist Jean-Yves Thibaudet in music of Debussy, Dvorak, and Harold Macmillan on Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m., February 7 and 8. For more information: stlsymphony.org.