Kansas City Symphony offers an invigorating Mahler rendition

A convivial spirit suffused Helzberg Hall for the Kansas City Symphony’s concert on Friday, combining the effervescence of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s final piano concerto and the jovial triumph inherent in Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, conducted by music director Michael Stern.

Pianist Benjamin Grosvenor performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27 with beautiful restraint, subtle emphasis, delineated and balanced chord voicing and a refreshing lack of bombast and theatrical fits. He proved easily capable of virtuosic expectations, becoming bolder and more florid during the cadenzas, his touch a little denser, the tone a little darker.

It was, however, the deceptively simple statement of the second movement that marked his skill, as he commanded stillness and attention.

The orchestra offered flexible dynamics and supported well, especially the pizzicato runs beneath the piano line and emphatic little violin grace note tweaks, though other figures were muddied.

Grosvenor’s encore was George Gershwin’s “Love Walked In,” with a pleasing arrangement by Percy Grainger.

Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 is, conversely, as bombastic and theatrical as one could wish, an ambitious piece with the potential to be earthshaking. Stern had an evident affinity for the work and presented wholehearted, detailed direction to the ensemble. (The orchestra acknowledged his committed performance during the ovations.)

Good on him, also, in taking extra time at the outset of the work to let extraneous audience noise subdue before indicating those initial pianissimo tones.

This work is incredibly fun to hear and to play, with frequent and sudden contrasts, episodes evocative of bird sounds, street bands and folk song, and opportunities for each musician to play with full abandon. However, the work is also wickedly exposed in places, highly demanding of every individual and requires complete attention for nearly an hour.

The ensemble gave a successful, if not seismic, rendition, the final tempestuous movement committed and confident.

The start was less so, simultaneously too loud and too hesitant, lacking in cohesion, with squeaky, pitchy harmonics. When the sections opened up, the work became more secure, but the first movement suffered boggy transitions and lacked spontaneity.

The performance improved dramatically, nevertheless, with an invigorating presentation of individual and ensemble talent. Stern conducted an impressive transition from the third to fourth movement, as well as effective caesuras. Each section had its moment of victory, from brass to bass, violas to clarinets, timpani to tuba, and one hopes that the ensemble will build on these moments with consistency and unity.

This story was originally published April 2, 2016 at 8:26 AM with the headline "Kansas City Symphony offers an invigorating Mahler rendition."