The music of Ludwig van Beethoven is always en vogue, it is invariably appealing to audience and one may think that music lovers, having listened to dozens of performances of Festival’s Patron works, still demand new interpretations and new concerts. The attendance at Wednesday’s concert was impressive, despite the strong competition from other artistic events in Warsaw. It was not surprising at all, as the monumental Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat major Op. 73 was announced as the first item of the programme.
The solo part of Beethoven’s Concerto in E flat major was performed by Boris Berman, Moscow-born US citizen. He was accompanied by Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Antoni Wit. Berman studied with legendary Lev Oborin at one of the most prestigious music conservatoires in the World, namely Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. He gave a monumental interpretation of Beethoven’s work, clearly referring to the Concerto’s nickname. The powerful sound of the piano in the outer movements had something emperor’s in it, especially when backed up with the Orchestra. It was interesting to see a layout quite unusual for Warsaw Philharmonic: violins symmetrically on the left- and right-hand side of the stage and double basses in the back. Boris Berman’s interpretation was full of energy, emphatic, letting alone the details and nuances (in many other performances fully engaging pianist’s attention), focused on big picture. It was received with warm applause. The audience loves Beethoven so much. And the pianist reciprocated with Le soirée dans Grenade from Estampes by Claude Debussy, played as an encore.
For me, however, the clou of the evening was Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 4 in D minor Op. 120. Whoever was not convinced with Schumann’s approach to orchestral works, whoever regarded them as inferior to the piano works of the composer, had to change one’s mind after listening to the interpretation of Antoni Wit. It was a complete vision of the work: there was some romantic grandiosity, a deep elegiac tone was merged with heroism and all was flavoured with a note of profound sorrow and grief. Schumann’s setting of the Symphony No. 4 was unique, as he had united traditional four movements into one musical continuum. We have to add: this is a coherent musical entity, but not homogenous one. The Symphony is full of contrasts, calling for a skilful performer, able to underline them and to give them a shade of difference. And all those qualities were indeed present in the interpretation of Antoni Wit and the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra! Their Schuman was not at all monotonous one, it was Schumann full of colours and shades, it was Schumann that was emphatic and powerful almost like Beethoven and then, few bars later, dismal as well as triumphantly heroic in the daring coda. The advantage of the stage layout with symmetrically arranged violins was evident in this performance. The decision was clearly made up after analysis of Schuman’s score: the dialogues of two groups of violins benefited from this topophonic aspect. It was simply breathtaking creation. I do not recall any comparable performance of Robert Schumann’s symphony.

Marcin Majchrowski (Polskie Radio)

P.S. During the concert Professor Antoni Wit had received the Karol Szymanowski Foundation Prize. It was awarded for outstanding artistic achievements in advancing the music of Karol Szymanowski in Poland and abroad, and in particular for recording the composer’s complete symphonic and vocal-orchestral works. Professor Antoni Wit had asked for the award money to be donated to the Senior Musician Home Foundation.