The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra may conduct in the main hall of the Concertgebouw, which is quite a prize. That prize is reserved for the winner of the International Conducting Competition Rotterdam (ICCR), which was held this year in June. Winner: Miguel Sepúlveda (1998). Winner: Luis Castillo-Briceño (1996).
So two winners of the Grand Prix. Nice, but a bit awkward for the planning. Eventually the youngest, the Portuguese Sepúlveda, got the winners’ concert. Fortunately for the Costa Rican Luis Castillo-Briceño, a conductor was out in the normal programming in October. He can come in there.
The winners’ concert sounded on Thursday evening in the summer concert series of the Concertgebouw. That it is sold out not surprising, because popular and a nice repertoire: Rachmaninoffs Second piano concert (You know, where Eric Carmen/Céline Dion got the ‘All by Myelf’ Mustard) and Dvoráks Eighth symphony (You know, those with the most comic end ever composed).
What do we have with Sepúlveda as an up -and -coming talent in the barrel? An optimistic, business conductor, with a good ear for dynamics. It is firmly upright, conducts with flexible, angular movements. Occasionally lifts an instrument group with the left. Sinks far down the knees. You would think that underneath the firm pieces of music are the best, but funny enough, he mainly excels in dance, bright pieces. Optimism splashes from that.
In Dvoráks Eighth symphony (that Sepúlveda conducts by heart) It was therefore mainly the third part (‘Allegro Grazioso’) that became really nice with extremely subtle whistle solo and detailed first violins.
Video: Miguel Sepúlveda during the ICCR.
Long pianist on a low stool
The rest of the concert is a bit more turbid to describe. Literally too. Nothing goes really wrong. No, on a few unequal pizzizicatos and sometimes some hasty orchesthups to run again, everything is actually pretty good. And yet real feeling did not stand out a bit. The orchestra sounds a bit opaque in loud tuttis. The first violins are doing great in soft solos, but sound dullly together with the other strings. The balance with the woodwinds is often just off. Sepúlveda are good for cheerful emotions, but such a second part is not enough for dynamic indications; The orchestra also needs emotional direction. The Rotterdams does not dare to give itself completely by itself.
Also the Second piano concert Van Rachmaninoff, played by Alexander Malofeev (2001), was good. Good, but just not anymore. Malofeev, a fairly long pianist who puts his stool at the lowest, so that he is in a position that the occupational health and safety service would find something, excels in soft, small pieces. In full concentration he almost puts his chin on his hands. It’s just a shame that he also plays hard pieces on little more than living room volume. Good for the first rows, too bad for everyone in the back. His nut waterfalls miss some air and regularly disappear into the orchestra, which also misses that sparkle here too. The third part starts best, but Sepúlveda loses the Lange line. Fortunately we are dealing with two talents at the start of their career: they have not yet grown.
Malofeevs encaps you of the entire concert brings you the most of your piece. Not a cheerful swing, but Rachmaninoff’s deep -dark ‘Prelude Cis Klein’. Oh yes, the world is going on. He plays the almost ironic light, slightly rushed. He makes an indefinable cloud of the fast intermediate piece. That could be a failed show, but he might also mean that the misery is so complete that even the music is lost.
The other ICCR winner, Luis Castillo-Briceñoconducts 3 (Rotterdam) and 4 (Amsterdam) October the RPHO in, among others, Saint-Saënens’ Organce symphony.