Wolfe, Strauss, Sibelius
Finn + Finn was the magic combination tonight. Julia Wolfe’s Fountain of Youth to start was a fine example of its sort-written for a New World Symphony tour, certainly for the same program position, it’s a propulsive study in timbres. Strauss’ Four Last Songs with Miah Persson followed, and seemed a bit not-quite. Persson seemed a little overshadowed, whether by conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali or just by Strauss, I’m not sure. Unavoidable though the thickness of the orchestral texture may be, the playing also seemed a bit hard-edged, and yet detail-focused at the expense of the greater architecture. I was reminded a bit of his Alpensinfonie last season, which was unabashedly raucous and garish, yet when I heard a broadcast with another conductor not long after it seemed like completely different piece. Maybe he and Strauss aren’t so much a match. After intermission, though, Sibelius Fifth, and oh my. It was everything the Strauss had seemed to need, players and conductor working as one. He ought to return next with some lesser-trafficked Sibelius.