Guest conductor, teen prodigy shine in HSO program

HARTFORD — The Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s final Masterworks program of 2019 features guest conductor Laura Jackson and piano soloist Daniela Liebman.

Jackson had been slated to perform with the HSO back in April 2017 but had to withdraw due to illness. Fortunately, Jackson’s visit was able to be rescheduled for this weekend, though with a different set of compositions. This program, titled “Chopin and Franck,” explores the Romantic Era via the familiar format of overture, concerto, symphony.

The concert opened with “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” written in 1897 by Paul Dukas (1865-1935). Based on a ballad by Goethe, the tone poem tells the story of a budding magician who bewitches a broom to do his chores. Both the story and Dukas’ music were popularized in America by Disney’s 1940 film “Fantasia.”

The music conveys the plot in a vivid fashion, moving from mysterious pianissimos to quirky, off-balance passages and forceful climaxes. Jackson and the HSO did a wonderful job of bringing the score to life, drawing the audience into the story with ease.

Particularly notable moments included a humorous feature for four bassoons (including one contrabassoon, which plays an octave lower than a regular bassoon), a brief but lovely viola solo performed by principal Michael Wheeler, and several boisterous tuttis where an audience member could easily imagine wielding the sorcerer’s power with glee. The work uses larger wind and brass sections, which are balanced by increased strings. The fuller orchestra filled Bushnell hall very well, creating a palpable intensity to the sound.

Next, the orchestra performed the Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Minor (1829) by Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849). The work follows the traditional three-movement structure for a concerto but clearly sets the soloist up as the focus. The orchestra is not an equal partner in the drama, but rather serves as a backdrop for the pianist’s more self-contained musical explorations. Aside from a slightly tentative opening gesture, the orchestra did well with the material they had, and Jackson skillfully guided the ensemble in lining up with the soloist despite the music’s rhythmic intricacies.

The success of the work thus depends greatly on the soloist, in this case Daniela Liebman, a 17-year-old pianist from Mexico who studies in Texas. Liebman shone in the concerto, demonstrating maturity, sensitivity and graceful virtuosity throughout. The work is technically challenging but in a way that is more about elegance and artistry than power and flash. Chopin is a master of incorporating fast, elaborate passagework into lyrical settings without disrupting the delicate mood — and the concerto demands the pianist be able to negotiate frequently runs while still maintaining the integrity of the underlying melody and chords. Liebman achieved this beautifully, and the use of an overhead camera allowed the audience to fully appreciate the fluid dance of the pianist’s hands.

The opening Maestoso is the largest and most wide ranging of the three movements. This dramatic start created such a sense of release at its powerful ending that the audience burst into enthusiastic applause. The ensuing middle slow movement is achingly gorgeous, and the fast finale gives the soloist a chance to demonstrate more overt virtuosity as it speeds toward an exciting finish.

The work was received with a standing ovation, and Liebman honored the audience with a solo piano work by Chopin. The encore was well-executed and again showed off her mastery of the composer’s style, but was a bit too similar to the concerto to be as impactful as something more contrasting would have been.

The second half of the concert was filled by the Symphony in D Minor (1886-1888) by César Franck (1822-1890). Franck’s work is also in three movements, unlike the traditional four typically found in symphonies. It opens with a weighty sonataallegro form based on a three-note motive that returns throughout the work, much like Beethoven’s treatment of the Fate motive in his fifth symphony.

Remaining performance of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s Masterwork concert “Chopin and Franck” is Sunday at 3 p.m., in the Belding Theater at The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford. $35-$58. The next concert in the Masterwork series is “The Four Seasons” featuring violinist Randall Goosby Jan. 17 to 20. 860-987-5900, hartfordsymphony.org.