Conductor Search
The cougars love him, but is German hottie David Afkham prepared to take thebaton from Hans Graf?
David AfkhamPhoto by Chris Christodoulou
David AfkhamPhoto by Julian Luebbert
What could otherwise be considered youth orchestra repertoire at the hands of an educator was masterfully led by 28-year-old German-born conductor David Afkham for the Houston Symphony last weekend. Afkham is just old enough to be a few years out of a degree, but with plenty of accolades adorning his baton.
His striking good looks, tallish and slender persona, perfect hair and traditional tails, pique shirt, vest and matching tie fit the Houston Symphony's podium quite well. The orchestra responded in kind, and so did the audience with plenty of applause — some stylish cougar near me added plenty of audible qualifying statements about the young maestro's behind.
If that brings people to hear the masterworks of yesteryear, so be it.
Afkham was noticed, musically as well. And that's a good thing as he was making his Houston debut with a program that was narrowly focused. Spanning 15 years of composition history — 1807 to 1822 — the music of Beethoven and Schubert joined hands at Jones Hall for an exploration of early 19th century aesthetics.
Some stylish cougar near me added plenty of audible qualifying statements about the young maestro's behind.
Beethoven's Coriolan Overture and Schubert's Unfinished Symphony are by no means artistically simple pieces — however technically accessible they may be for an emerging musician. Countless times they are butchered by lack of understanding, seriousness and finesse. Append intonation problems typical of inexperience in key centers like E major (like in the second movement of the Schubert) and you have a listening experience akin to sharp nails screeching down an old-school blackboard.
Lovely. Just lovely.
Instead — and thankfully so — this Symphony performance was infused with delicious rhythmic accuracy, even in the most sensitive of pizzicato moments, and a sense of overarching harmonic structure and lingering musical phrases. It's what Afkham wanted (and achieved) with his sweeping conducting style which possesses just enough drama to attract attention and just enough subtlety and diplomacy not to sidetrack the audience from its main task: To listen and be moved.
Andre Watts closed the concert with Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major "Emperor." Though finishing with a concerto is generally outside of programming conventions — the established formula is overture, concerto followed by the "big" piece — the flow was a welcomed deviation given the weight of each piece, the inconclusive feeling of the Schubert and, of course, Watts' commanding artistic presence.
Watts' fervent and flowing Adagio bordered on bucolic mysticism, leading after the unexpected transition to the peppy and pastoral Rondo. You couldn't help smile and wiggle in your seat while thinking of peasants churning butter, or drinking beer, or both.
We have to ask: Could Afkham be the next Houston symphony maestro?
With Afkham the first guest conductor of the Symphony's 2011-12 classical season, CultureMap is resuming its series scrutinizing visiting baton wielders and adding our own food for thought. The powers that be at the nonprofit announced that every guest conductor could be considered for the post after Hans Graf's departure in 2013.
You couldn't help smile and wiggle in your seat while thinking of peasants churning butter, or drinking beer, or both.
Thus Afkham joins the ranks of Thomas Dausgaard, James Gaffigan, Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos and Juanjo Mena.
Afkham burst into the music after winning the 2008 Donatella Flick Conduction Competition which earned him a spot as assistant conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra for two years. With Valery Gergiev at his side, Afkham was already destined to go places. In 2009, Gustavo Dudamel (just a couple of years his senior) named Afkham one of Los Angeles Philharmonic's four new conducting fellows.
Last year, Afkham made debuts with Tonhalle Orchester Zurich, the Orchestre National de France in Paris, the Salzburg Festival and the Cleveland Orchestra. He's set to appear on the stages of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, DSO Berlin, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra later this year.
With such a limited program — only Beethoven and Schubert — it is difficult to make a cohesive assessment whether he's ready for Houston, or whether Houston is ready for Afkham. It's true that the repertoire of that era is usually the bread and butter — the cash cow — of the classical series. But when Afkham was asked to replace Jaap van Zweden, who fell ill, at a LA Philharmonic subscription concert, he swaped Rudolf Escher’s Music for the Spirit in Mourning for Coriolan.
That raises questions.
In a recent interview with The Juilliard Journal Online, Afkham explained that "What helps is being very open-minded, trying out many things and making mistakes, and giving time to your own development. Sometimes it is important to say ‘no, this is too soon.’ Giving [yourself] time to grow is really important. Sometimes, I’m a little bit impatient and must remind myself that the path is the goal.”
It's inconceivable not to talk about Afkham without addressing his age, though there is already precedent in major symphony orchestras to appoint conductors in their twenties. The Houston Symphony is no stranger to young conductors like Joshua Weilerstein, Krzysztof Urbanski and Diego Matheuz, all in their 20s.
He's admittedly in a growing stage and not in a hurry to get there as quickly as he can.
Pros:
- As a rising star with plenty of energy and ambition, it would be wise to look at him seriously as a leader that could carry the Symphony from a transition period onto more vibrant projects, ones that would attract the type of audiences necessary for its survival.
- Afkham prepares dutifully with plenty of study, metal practice and discipline. Passion is juxtaposed after other musical facets have been explored. The result is an artistically satisfying performance, whether the listener is familiar with the music or not.
Cons:
- Can he adjust to a nonprofit world where all funding doesn't come from the government, an environment where he will also play a role in adding to the financial stability of the organization? Too early to tell.
- Would he stay? Or will his ascent to music fame attract him to other prestigious posts? He's certainly on his way.
- His conducting is electric, precise, energetic. But his demeanor has been described as unassuming. Could he be the type to rally support, or would he remain in the background?
He may not be ready for a principal post, yet, but who knows where he will be in a couple of years. I would surely love to see Afkham back, again and again. Perhaps with Shostakovich (like the video below), Brahms or some crazy 20th century work no one has ever heard of before.
Let's see if his hair will ever get messed up.
Check him out for yourself:
