The Philharmonic had by no means carried out the symphony earlier than Wednesday, and underneath Glover’s baton it flowed with the identical nimble, unaffected naturalness as the remainder of this system: 4 items, together with three Mozart symphonies, from the ultimate three a long time of the 18th century. Glover’s tempos all through the live performance had been wise and unexaggerated, with ample room to breathe however no dragging, and the enjoying was pretty — although the violins typically took on a barely skinny, wiry edge, highlighted by the cool readability of Geffen Corridor’s acoustics.
Within the work not by Mozart — Beethoven’s “Ah! perfido,” a live performance scene from 5 years after Mozart’s demise however nonetheless very a lot inside the world of his opera arias — the orchestra offered delicate accompaniment for the soprano Karen Slack. Making her Philharmonic debut, she inhabited the piece’s shifting moods, from anger at a treacherous lover to vulnerability to proud decision, with strikingly clear excessive notes by the tip.
The opposite two Mozart symphonies on this system — No. 35 in D (“Haffner,” Ok. 385) and No. 39 in E flat (Ok. 543) — are much better identified than No. 13. And, nevertheless charming that youthful work, they dwarf it in complexity and wonder. In grandeur, too, although Glover, returning to the Philharmonic after conducting Handel’s “Messiah” in 2015 and skilled in music of the Classical interval, tended to not emphasize that high quality.
These performances had been modest from their openings, with the beginning of the “Haffner” extra heat than bracing, and that of No. 39 extra conversational than majestic. The fourth motion of the “Haffner,” 4 good minutes of Mozartian vitality and magnificence, was brisk and lyrical, slightly than punchy or boisterous.
The Symphony No. 39 is without doubt one of the nice trio of 1788 items that had been the capstone of Mozart’s profession on this style. On Wednesday, the winds had been tender within the sluggish second motion, and the lilting ländler dance of the third was performed with each delicacy and good humor. The finale spoke for the live performance as an entire: spirited but snug.
New York Philharmonic
This program continues by way of Friday at David Geffen Corridor, Manhattan; nyphil.org.
