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When The Avians Flew New York
Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall, Lincoln Center
11/26/2025 - & November 28, 29, 2025
Lera Auerbach: Icarus (New York Premiere)
Aram Khatchaturian: Piano Concerto in D Flat Major, Opus 38
Einojuhani Rautavaara: Cantus Arcticus: Concerto for Birds and Orchestra, Opus 61
Ottorino Respighi: Pines of Rome
Rob Schwimmer (Theremin), Jean-Yves Thibaudet (Pianist)
New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Stéphane Denève (Conductor)
S. Denève/J.-Y. Thibaudet (© Jessica Griffin/Elisabeth Caren)
“I grew up in an atmosphere rich in folk music: popular festivities, rites, joyous and sad events in the life of the people always accompanied by music, the vivid tunes of Armenian, Azerbaijani and Georgian songs and dances performed by folk bards [ashugs] and musicians such were the impressions that became deeply engraved on my memory, that determined my musical thinking.”
Aram Khatchaturian
“As a child, I lived in ancient Greece. The book of myths was my favorite and the world of jealous gods and god‑like humans was more real to me than the world outside of my windows, full of bloody red flags and the Soviet‑trinity portraits of Lenin-Marx-Engels with the occasional bushy eyebrows of Brezhnev looking at me from the walls of the buildings.”
Lera Auerbach
Three-quarters of this week’s New York Philharmonic concert was from Russia. (Yes, Respighi worked and learned his orchestral chops from Rimsky‑Korsakov). Three‑quarters were inspired by birds. (Lera Auerbach’s Icarus based his doomed aero‑aerobics on other winged creatures.)
And 100 percent on picturesque paintings by four orchestral magicians.
Aram Khatchaturian and Ottorino Respighi, frequently labelled “second class” are never downgraded for their orchestral colors. Einojuhani Rautavaara, even in competition with recorded birds, held his own with pictures of bog and migrating swans.
L. Auerbach (© Raniero Tazzi)
As for Lera Auerbach, who was present last night, we have a Russian‑born composer whose studies in Juilliard and in Germany have an assured touch in a work which reached the skies with the most variegated orchestral inventions.
Ms. Auerbach has become a virtual mainstream composer in Europe. In New York, I have been more than impressed with her social stands (One work was dedicated to refugees.) Her Pergolesi variations had the most memorable orchestra coloring. I recall a melodious solo violin against pizzicati on violas against the vibraphone, a most mysterious phenomena.
In Icarus, Ms. Auerbach had a story to tell (sort of, see below), and here too, the New York Philharmonic showed its colors with some dazzling invention.
Much of it involved the 1930’s “haunted-movie music” theremin. Without accreditation, conductor Denève introduced Rob Schwimmer as the soloist. His unison melodies with violins (ensemble or solo) were not haunted, but provided the original sounds.
One caveat: Ms. Auerbach stated that she didn’t title her works until they were finished. So one had to avoid the story of Icarus and listen to the music purely. Since the Phil whizzed up to the further reaches, that wasn’t easy!
As for the Khatchaturian Piano Concerto, this was a breeze, with Jean‑Yves Thibaudet–rather, Jean‑Yves Thibaudet’s ten fingers–doing the honors. This is partly due to its deliciously showy notes, its lack of secrets, and its blatant attraction for pure virtuosity.
That isn’t entirely true. One is easily transfixed by the second movement Armenian scale or the maestoso repeat of the opening theme at the finish. And I loved the solo musical saw, probably based on some Georgian or Armenian folk instrument. But the essential transfixing was Mr. Thibaudet’s fingers, singing, dancing and taking those quadruple octaves in his literal formidable stride.
His encore, Villa-Lobos’ “Punch Doll” from The Baby’s Family (Book I), was an even greater demonstration of those fabulous fingers.
The second half brought two works with bird recordings. These were real birds, not those Messiaen piano replicas. The third “pine” movement of Respighi’s Pines of Rome were sweet tweets. They formed a saccharine interlude to the Roman parade of the Appian Way. And conductor Stéphane Denève led all four movements–including the inescapable crowd‑cheering finale–with all the expertise one needs in this terrific piece.
For the whole program, Mr. Denève generously gave individual honors to all the Phil soloists.
The penultimate work was the third of three generations of Finn composers this month. The Phil started with Sibelius’ Second Symphony. On the same program, the living Sebastian Fagerlund’s made a personal appearance forStonework.
Einojuhani Rautavaara was between those two, and his Bird Concerto would have pleased them both. I had never heard it live before. And must confess that the orchestra bird replicas–not sweet sounds but honking dark sounds–were more interesting than the recorded avian sounds.
Mr. Rautavaara could have chosen his instruments from one of Sibelius’ “nature pieces”, but these were original, haunting, mysterious and seemingly from a more eternal aerie than a mere bird’s nest.
Like all four glittering works , the Bird Concerto was blessed with Stéphane Denève’s fine conducting, and standout solo and ensemble production.
Harry Rolnick
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