Violinist Joshua Bell is a real showman. He knows how to wow a crowd. That's not a bad thing. Disdain for the audience is part of what's left classical music so marginalized in popular culture.
Bell's sold-out appearances this week with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra showcased his prodigious talents -- sometimes too much so.
His performance of the Beethoven Romance No. 2 in F for Violin and Orchestra earned him a standing ovation. He made the violin sing with a warm, intoxicating tone, and dance through the complex filigree of decorations.
The orchestra had a decidedly accompanying role, but Bell still brought out the richness off the instrumentation.
The Brahms Sextet No. 1 in B-flat for two violins, violas and cellos was less successful. Bell seemed unable to curb his natural ebullience, overshadowing fellow violinist Steven Copes. Too often, it sounded like a performance for solo violin with quintet accompaniment. Despite being out of balance, Bell was mesmerizing.
Things settled down in the dialogue between the violins and the violas in the second movement, evincing much charm and delicacy, especially in the hands of violists Sabina Thatcher and Maiya Papach. There followed a profound moment for the cellos, ably played by Ronald Thomas and Sarah Lewis.
In the quirky rhythms of the scherzo, Brahms seems to laugh at confounding his listeners' expectations. But the ensemble seemed to be working too hard, overwhelming the joke.
The opposite was true of the finale. Brahms revered Haydn, and never more so than in this elegant movement. The themes were traded back and forth between the voices in a compelling conversation.
