Solo a no-go, WSO pivots to replace piano work

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This article was published 09/02/2025 (572 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra pulled a musical rabbit out of a hat Saturday night, after injury forced its planned guest soloist, pianist Anna Geniushene — who played both pre-show rehearsals — to abruptly cancel her two weekend performances of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1.

Maestro Daniel Raiskin, who led the 100-minute (including intermission) evening, announced from the stage that the Russian-Lithuanian artist and silver medalist of the 2022 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition (who was also slated to perform during Sunday afternoon’s Shirley Loewen Sunday Classics series) is expected to return during the 2026/27 season.

For those lucky listeners who attended last week’s groundbreaking Music from the Inside Out concert, this latest offering provided an opportunity to hear an encore performance of Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 in B minor (Unfinished) in lieu of the Brahms, this time from their usual “outside in” seats in the hall.

Otherwise, the crowd of 1,719 was treated to the 28-minute work that’s been shrouded in mystery since first penned in 1822, and last programmed during the WSO’s regular concert season in 2005.

It’s hard not to sink into this ear-pleaser, with Raiskin’s sensitive direction ensuring a suitably lugubrious opening by the lower strings during the first movement, Allegro moderato, before the first theme is skilfully brought to life by guest oboist Noah Kay, joined by principal clarinet Micah Heilbrunn in unison.

Kudos also to the cello section, led by always-welcome former principal Yuri Hooker, who returns to the stage from time to time during his current sabbatical year, with the string players infusing the second, sunnier theme with lush lyricism.

While it often boils down to a matter of taste, the second movement, Andante con moto, felt strangely sluggish, although the slower pace nonetheless created a suspended quality throughout. It also allowed for a full palette of dynamic graduation, with the piece gently ebbing and flowing towards its final hushed utterance.

The second half of the evening featured Tchaikovsky’s masterfully orchestrated Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 (Pathetique). The work’s première on Oct. 28, 1893, was led by the composer himself, just before his tragic death nine days later.

It also hasn’t been heard on this stage since the WSO’s Tchaikovsky’s Festival back in November 2013, then led by former WSO music director Alexander Mickelthwate.

Once again, Raiskin immediately established the opening Adagio-Allegro non troppo’s sombre tone, including guest bassoonist Jake Thonis’s wholly exposed solo, which leads to the plaintive first theme.

Its unabashedly romantic second theme shimmered like light on new-fallen snow, thanks to the closely harmonized strings, with the maestro wisely avoiding any temptation towards the maudlin.

This particular performance also displayed the orchestra’s full power and might, including its spot-on brass players who helped launch the more fiery development section with shocking outbursts (and later, those thunderous triple and quadruple forte passages), adding further colour and life.

Then it was time for the work’s famously described “limping waltz,” unusually scored in 5/4 time, with Raiskin now laying down his baton to sculpt sound with both hands during the Allegro con grazia.

The players left nothing on the stage during the stormier, penultimate scherzo, Allegro molto vivace, rendered with brusque attack, leading to the elegiac finale, Adagio lamentoso, ending the roughly 45-minute piece with a soulful cry from the depths that stunned audience members during its St. Petursburg première.

As expected, the performance received a rousing standing ovation with cries of “bravo” from the crowd, which was left pondering what else might have come from this passionate composer with still so much more to say.

The performance repeats Sunday at 2 p.m. as part of the Shirley Loewen Sunday Classics series.

holly.harris@shaw.ca