April 24 & 26, 2025
Atlanta Symphony Hall, Woodruff Arts Center
Atlanta, Georgia – USA
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra; Andrew Manze, conductor; Clara-Jumi Kang, violin.
Aram KHACHATURIAN: “Sabre Dance” from Gayane
Aram KHACHATURIAN: “Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia” from Spartacus
Aram KHACHATURIAN: “Lezghinka” from Gayane
Jean SIBELIUS: Violin Concerto
Alexander BORODIN: Symphony No. 2
Mark Gresham | 25 APR 2025
The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performed a program of colorful masterworks on Thursday evening at Symphony Hall, showcasing an inspired mix of accessibility and complexity in music by Aram Khachaturian, Jean Sibelius, and Alexander Borodin. Led by guest conductor Andrew Manze, with violinist Clara-Jumi Kang as soloist, the evening delivered many moments of compelling artistry.
The music of Soviet-Armenia composer Aram Khachaturian is too rarely heard in symphonic programs these days. The ASO opened with three pieces drawn from Khachaturian’s ballets. The “Sabre Dance” from Gayane—famous for its adoption into popular culture in the mid-20th century—made for a bold and vigorous curtain-raiser with its hyperactivity and driving rhythms. Particularly notable was the muscular percussion, which set the manic energy and circus-like atmosphere from the outset, along with one of the piece’s most iconic and ear-catching features: the prominent trombone glissandi—short, punchy, and used for comic or exaggerated dramatic effect. They punctuated the relentless xylophone and string rhythms, almost like musical exclamation points, adding a brazen character to the hectic underlying dance rhythm.
The mood turned reflective with the “Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia,” from Khachaturian’s 1954 ballet, Spartacus, in which the orchestra found a warm, romantic core in the sweeping string lines and lush harmonic language. Manze, a tall conductor who leads with noticeably large, sweeping gestures, was attentive in pacing and balance, allowing the music’s emotional currents to unfold naturally, drawing a dark, warm sound from the ensemble that foreshadowed the orchestral sound heard later in the concert.
The final Khachaturian selection, the “Lezghinka” from Gayane, demonstrated just how rhythmically complex the composer could be, yet accessible to the average listener. Irregular meters and swift shifts in dynamics gave the piece a thrilling sense of unpredictability. Once again, the ASO percussion section shone, anchoring the demanding pulse with agility and flair.
Clara-Jumi Kang, a Korean-German violinist gaining international attention, brought her subtle interpretations and technical finesse to Sibelius’ Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47, impressing the listener with a sonic grace reminiscent of Anne-Sophie Mutter. From the concerto’s pianissimo opening bars, Kang displayed remarkable bow control and tone—delicate yet warm, never brittle. Her quietest playing shimmered with intensity.
While gripping in moments, the concerto’s first movement is a structural challenge—its episodic nature and ambiguous transitions can sometimes make it difficult to unify soloist and orchestra. Thursday’s performance had several passages in which the two seemed rhythmically unmoored from each other, especially approaching the movement’s end, which appeared not to align precisely.
The concerto’s middle and final movements, however, were more cohesive. Kang’s command of dynamic contrast remained central to her interpretation, and her tone was well heard over Sibelius’ orchestration, though never unpleasant.
Following much applause, Kang returned to play the “Largo” from J.S. Bach’s Sonata No. 3 in C major (BWV 1005) as an encore.
Borodin’s Symphony No. 2 closed the evening, reasserting the program’s Russian identity with bold brass fanfares and the sweeping gestures characteristic of the so-called “Mighty Handful.” Manze brought out the piece’s dramatic contrasts and instrumental colors, steering the orchestra through its propulsive outer movements and the more introspective middle sections. The brass and percussion again took the spotlight—Borodin’s writing offers them ample opportunity—and delivered with stately force.
Andrew Manze (credit: Benjamin Ealovega)
Before each half of the performance, Manze charmed the audience with some casual podium remarks, although one comment before the second half was astonishing. He claimed Broadway’s Kismet drew musical inspiration from Borodin’s Symphony No. 2. Sorry, but no: it was Borodin’s String Quartet No. 2 that was famously reworked for the 1953 musical, a distinction that matters in discussions of cultural borrowing. (Of course, we heard no tunes from Kismet in Borodin’s symphony.)
The evening ultimately succeeded in its ambition to showcase music rich in rhythm, color, and expressive contrast. If not every element coalesced perfectly, the ASO nevertheless offered an engaging and ambitious program that celebrated a trio of composers who—each in their own way—married complexity with immediacy. ■
EXTERNAL LINKS:
- Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: aso.org
- Andrew Manze: andrewmanze.com
- Clara-Jumi Kang: clarajumikang.com
Read more by Mark Gresham.
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