Tchivzhel astounds with Auckland Philharmonia

By HEATH LEES

TOWN HALL, Auckland - In this part of the world, no one conducts the Russian composers more tellingly than Edvard Tchivzhel, who was back on the podium on Thursday's Royal and SunAlliance concert, urging the Philharmonia to great things in the first symphonies from two of his heroes - Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich.

If these works had been the kind of expected apprentice-pieces from mere youths, one in his mid-20s and the other 19, the demands on the orchestra might have been less. As it was, Tchaikovsky's exciting style is already in full bloom throughout this symphony, while Shostakovich's tense, grating, and often furious symphonic expression at such an early age has always been hailed as something miraculous.

Wisely, the orchestra had allowed for extra players and substitutions during the evening, so the quality of solo playing remained consistently good. Another plus was in the regrouping of the violins on the conductor's left, which led to a loving relationship again, while on the right, the violas were out in front, and really let themselves go in those special Tchaikovskian moments where they join with the cellos in ardent song.

Following Tchivzhel every inch of the way, the strings breathed themselves into Tchaikovsky's third movement - a notoriously difficult start - with complete unison and instant nuance, and even the disappointing final movement with its fussy academic fugue was made to sound almost convincing.

After the interval, Tchaikovsky's jubilant tread was racked up to form Shostakovich's nightmarish journey, the already unrelenting voice of a composer who admitted that as a schoolboy he "met the Revolution on the streets," and as a mature musician, was to supply, against huge opposition, the grim soundtrack to the 20th century for every Russian.

Tchivzhel and the orchestra preserved the best of Tchaikovsky that can be found in this youngster's explosive score - the touches of ballet, the exciting cross-cutting between instrumental groups, the dotted rhythms, here smeared with irony, and a sense of tragedy at the end, beautifully embodied in the closing cello solo.

Great programming this, and an exciting concert.