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A conductor's passion: Brahms Fest brings out the love in Houston Symphony'sdeparting maestro
Editor's Note: As part of CultureMap's State of the Arts series throughout the month of August, we are highlighting upcoming fall arts events you won't want to miss.
There's sensible rationale behind classical music's trinity — Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. This triumvirate is the pride and joy of music junkies — and the pain of emerging students as their opus is parsed, studied and torn apart in conservatories like an over-wrapped Christmas gift. The counterpoint, the harmonies, the texture evince genius, innovation and celestial artistry.
Hans Graf surely agrees, particularly with Brahms. With a few coins in his pocket, the Houston Symphony's music director had enough cash to purchase his first miniature score at the age of 16. His acquisition was Brahms' Symphony No. 4 in E minor, of which he writes, "Still holds the power to surprise us, with something new to discover around every turn of phrase."
There's something about the overall structure, the move from C minor into the nobility of C major, that captures the essence of good, that humanity can redeem itself.
The first concert series of Graf's last season before he retires from the Houston Symphony is an homage to the German composer. The three-week Best of Brahms Festival, which runs Sept. 14 to 30, amasses all four symphonies, the two piano concerti, the double concerto for violin and cello, Ein deutsches Requiem, nach Worten der heiligen Schrift with the Houston Symphony Chorus, Variations on a Theme of Haydn, Tragic Overture and Nänie.
Joining in this musical binge as featured soloists are pianists Jonathan Biss and Garrick Ohlsson, concertmaster Frank Huang, principal cellist Brinton Averil Smith, baritone Joshua Hopkins and, for the last week of the fete, conductor John Storgårds.
To ask a musician to pick his favorite Brahms work is like asking a mother to choose her preferred child — unconceivable.
Lately though, I've been veering toward the Symphony No. 1 in C Minor. There's something about the overall structure, the move from the tragic C minor into the nobility of C major, that captures the essence of good, that humanity can redeem itself, that virtue will triumph over chaos. Hear it for yourself by listening — and paying attention — to part of the last movement (video above).
Given how we are bombarded constantly with toxic information, don't we need a reminder that things will be OK?
