“His palms seem like they’re possessed,” whispered a person sitting close to me in the course of the efficiency by piano virtuoso Aristo Sham on the Illinois Symphony Orchestra’s live performance on the UIS Auditorium final Friday, Feb. 7. There was certainly one thing preternatural about Sham’s taking part in, with rapturous glissandos and indelible melodies emanating from fingers that appeared to bop unnaturally calmly over the keys, his relaxed posture and physique language virtually contradicting the pressure and fantastic thing about the sounds filling the live performance corridor.
Friday’s live performance marked the return of former ISO music director (2017-2022) Ken Lam as visitor conductor, the second visitor conducting spot by a former music director this season, following Alastair Willis’ (2012-2015) memorable look in November. Maestro Lam left his place right here in 2022 to affix the Juilliard college in Tianjin, China. He defined throughout his opening remarks Friday that when present music director Taichi Fukumura discovered himself unable to conduct this weekend’s live performance, he jumped on the likelihood. “It is Chinese language New 12 months over there, so conveniently I made a decision to return again,” Lam mentioned with a attribute chuckle.
As a method of acknowledging the vacation underway abroad simultaneous along with his return go to to the states, Lam opened the live performance with a brief, fanfare-like piece named “Present” (2019) by modern American Chinese language composer Zhou Tian. “I feel it sounds extra American than Chinese language,” Lam mentioned on the conclusion of Friday’s thrilling rendition, which had modified the vibe within the room like a double shot of caffeine. “Plenty of vitality, plenty of rhythm.”
Brahms’ Third Symphony (1883) adopted, feeling virtually like a examine in distinction with Tian’s piece. The contemplative, achingly lovely melodies unfold throughout 4 largely quiet actions had an impact that, whereas not precisely equal to the composer’s well-known lullaby, was virtually soporific in comparison with the high-octane music on both facet of it. “That’s the reason this piece is nearly by no means placed on the second half of a program,” Lam mentioned. “Possibly for the intermission you may be very blissful about having listened to such lovely melodies and that can be a pleasant strategy to take pleasure in a [refreshment].” For his or her elements, the musicians of the ISO appeared transported of their taking part in, passionately misplaced within the second and bringing their all to Brahms’ music, whereas conserving vitality for the sonic fireworks to return.
From the second 28-year-old pianist Aristo Sham sat down on his bench firstly of the present’s second half, the vitality degree within the room started to spike. Friday’s rendition of Franz Liszt’s Piano Live performance No. 1 (1855) was a barn-burner, with Sham’s alternately delicate and forceful notes seeming to drift above the orchestra one second, then swoop right down to work together with the opposite musicians the subsequent. At virtually 30, the virtuoso has left the “baby prodigy” label behind, however his youthful demeanor and vitality had been plain, right down to black-and-white checkered socks in a method which is perhaps extra readily related to a ska-punk band.
Following a frenzied and absolutely earned standing ovation from an viewers galvanized by Sham’s mind-bending ivory-tickling, the live performance concluded with extra Liszt, however this time sans piano. Constructing on the vitality of the live performance thus far, Lam led the ISO by way of a completely rousing efficiency of “Les Preludes” (1854). This finale, whereas not technically an anticlimax, might additionally not fairly match the heights simply witnessed with Sham. Nonetheless, the musicians leaned into Liszt’s frothing tone poem with vigor and admirable precision, bringing the viewers to its toes as soon as once more.
Maestro Fukumura will return to conducting duties April 4 for “Serenade of Strings.” Go to ilsymphony.org for tickets.
