Conductor Dausgaard takes Seattle Symphony from exuberance to whispers

When a symphony orchestra is trimmed down to Mozart-era size and conducted with a master hand, the results can sound like first-rate chamber music.

That is the case at the Seattle Symphony, where principal guest conductor Thomas Dausgaard led an inspiring all-Viennese program on Thursday evening (March 10). It was the first of three performances combining the refined elegance of a Haydn symphony and a Mozart piano concerto with the more opulent strains of early Schoenberg.

The communication between conductor and ensemble was intriguing to watch. In the opening Haydn Symphony No. 88, Dausgaard set a clear tempo, but then concerned himself less with beating time and more with drawing the sound out of the players with the most expressive repertoire of gestures. The Haydn was both stately and rambunctious, full of color and energy; no phrase sounded routine.

The performance featured huge contrasts in dynamics, from powerful statements to a sound that was refined right down to a whisper. Among the loveliest moments were the second-movement duet passages between cellist Efe Baltacigil and oboist Ben Hausmann, perfectly attuned to each other. The light, fleet finale had the character of a Mozart opera overture, full of bubbly exuberance.

The evening’s soloist, Boris Giltburg, joined the ensemble for Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major (K. 488) in a performance remarkable for its quality and subtlety of touch. In the opening movement, Giltburg created an intimate sonic world, touching the keys with a surprisingly soft-focus delicacy. His phrasing combined an unusual clarity and finesse, and Dausgaard drew an almost transparent sound from the orchestra that never overpowered the soloist. The joyously buoyant finale was a wonderful contrast.

Here was a concerto performance that sounded fully coordinated, with less of a sense of soloist/accompaniment, and more of an impression of genuine partnership.

Seeing composer Arnold Schoenberg on a program is not necessarily reassuring to symphony audiences, and there were some empty seats in the hall after intermission, when Schoenberg’s “Verklärte Nacht” (“Transfigured Night”) was to be performed. Schoenberg is most famous for his thornier later works in the atonal/serialist style, not usually considered audience catnip.

“Verklärte Nacht,” however, is an early work strongly influenced by Wagner, full of beautiful harmonies and composed after a romantic poem. Schoenberg revised his original 1899 string-sextet version for string orchestra, and that’s the version heard in this program.

Dausgaard and 29 orchestra members gave the piece a transfigured performance, one of refined beauty and incredible tonal variety — from a bare thread of edgy sound to rich, organlike chords, with a forward impulse that made you lean in to listen. It was a time to reflect with great pleasure on the fact that Dausgaard has just renewed his Seattle contract through 2020.