Performing Arts

RICHARDSON – Pianist Olga Kern, one of the surest crowd-pleasers in this area, performed her magic once again Saturday night. A large audience heard her play with the Richardson Symphony Orchestra and conductor Anshel Brusilow in the Eisemann Center.

The former Cliburn Competition gold medalist played a work long associated with that contest: Rachmaninoff's massive Third Piano Concerto. She gave another first-prize performance, easily conquering its bravura passages while creating a gripping musical drama. Equally as impressive as the power she produced was the clarity of her playing and its lyric beauty.

And three cheers to Ms. Kern for her avoidance of the histrionics that are so popular nowadays, particularly among young artists. She's never stiff, but there's no wild arm movements and soulful gazing at the ceiling. The drama comes from the music.

Mr. Brusilow and the orchestra gave her decent if not inspired support.

The first half of the program was given over to another Russian classic, Tchaikovsky's Pathetique Symphony. This is an unusual concert-opener, because the work closes with such an air of finality. It would have been jarring had the Rachmaninoff begun immediately thereafter. But the intervening intermission softened the jolt.

The Pathetique got off to a bumpy start, with the strings slightly out of tune and unmellow. There was also the matter of the noisy audience member. He or she did something that sounded like the ripping loose of a giant Velcro strap. It must have been huge.

The remainder of the performance was serviceable, though my mind kept going back to a performance of the Pathetique led by Mr. Brusilow at the University of North Texas recently. Though the student orchestra lacked the polish of a professional ensemble, the performance and gripping marches were deeply involving.

Saturday night's march didn't match up to it. Still, many in the audience were caught up in it. They burst into applause, and Mr. Brusilow had the orchestra stand in acknowledgement before continuing with the final movement.

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