Berliner Philharmoniker review — two new works meticulously conducted by Kirill Petrenko

ISHJÄRTA (“Ice hearts”) is a brittle, evocative new work by Swedish composer Lisa Streich for the Berliner Philharmoniker. Cold is conjured viscerally through a range of familiar (strings applying the wood of their bows) and less familiar (an egg slicer placed on a drum) techniques. Warmth is centred on the second violin section, whispering a tender melody throughout. Sometimes it feels like hearing an old-fashioned music box through frosted glass.

Delicate and deft, ISHJÄRTA is engaging throughout. Streich uses the formidable orchestral forces at her disposal with restraint and assurance, and her sense of narrative clarity makes for compelling listening.

The second work to receive its world premiere at this concert, Julia Wolfe’s Pretty, is not. That is the whole idea. The title is a subversive dig at expectations of the feminine; the work is driving, strident and relentlessly ebullient. Wolfe’s 25-minute work draws on traditions of folk fiddling, uses drum kits and has the strings imitate the sounds of electric guitar. The minimalist soundscapes of Steve Reich meet the animation of John Adams in a sound-world that is very much Wolfe’s own, a brash New York in-your-face yelp of delight, well suited to the juggernaut of an orchestra that commissioned it.

Kirill Petrenko conducted both works with meticulous attention to detail and deep commitment to structure. He also elucidated the pieces in surprisingly charming little introductory lecture-demonstrations (given his reputation as a man of few words), framed by the awkward moderation of orchestral violist Sebastian Krunnies. Clearly the orchestra is experimenting with format. But to let a player mansplain to a composer by reading her own quotes back at her on stage is beneath this ensemble’s dignity.

Mercifully, Tchaikovsky’s Francesca da Rimini was deemed to require no introduction, and the orchestra tore straight into the piece. This is Petrenko’s home turf. He stripped the piece of all pathos and tuned it up to a fever pitch of neurosis and frantic virtuosity. The trust evident between conductor and players was abundantly evident; together, they have moved from an introductory phase of strict discipline to one of high-octane risk-taking and the results were, frankly, breathtaking. Surely Francesca da Rimini doesn’t get any better than this.

It is good to see the Berliners bringing more women into their programming; this concert came less than a month after Gustavo Dudamel’s spirited account of Gabriela Ortíz’s Téenek — Invenciones de Territorio with the orchestra. Equality is still a speck on the horizon, but at least the journey is picking up pace.

★★★★☆

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