Shchedrin’s Fifth, a Dazzling Debut

The premiere of Rodion Shchedrin’s vigorous Fifth Piano Concerto on Thursday night at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion may be something that fell into the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s lap, but it did so by way of an interesting route, through Finland. The concerto was commissioned for the Finnish pianist Olli Mustonen, who has a passion for the music of the 66-year-old Russian composer, by a Finnish couple, Hannu and Ulla Savisalo. Mustonen’s friendship with his compatriot, music director Esa-Pekka Salonen, made our Philharmonic the benefactor.

But perhaps such an indirect route is only natural for Shchedrin, who happens to be a canny musical diplomat. Although he now lives in Munich, he was the rare artist who seemed to thrive within the Soviet system without having to sacrifice his integrity. He came out of Shostakovich’s circle (his father was Shostakovich’s secretary during World War II), and he did not hide his occasional taste for musical adventure (his Second Piano Concerto from 1966 suddenly breaks out into cool jazz). Yet Shchedrin’s music is so thoroughly Russian in its soul and immediate in its theatricality that he somehow never seems to be operating outside of the system. His wife is the famed ballerina Maya Plisetskaya, and the ballet music he wrote for her, particularly his ingenious “Carmen Suite,” with Bizet’s music scored for strings and raucous percussion, made him famous.

The new piano concerto further demonstrates how Shchedrin’s vivid theatricality is not at all compromised by working within a traditionally formal structure. The musical style is a logical progression of Prokofiev’s, as if history had played no tricks and Russian music had not, in the last 30 years, gone off on wild Postmodern and spiritual tangents. On the page, the concerto demonstrates a fine craftsmanship. A percussive theme, in the brilliant style of Prokofiev’s piano writing, is hammered out on the piano and goes through a series of permutations throughout the three movements in the traditional fast, slow, fast scheme. The developments are sensible and straightforward. The concerto has a strong rhythmic life, again in the brilliant Prokofiev style. But it is never predictable. Near the end there are swirling wind and string surges of 16th notes in which the standard material, again through simple logic, has been translated into a wondrously modern sound.

Mustonen is a provocative young pianist. He has exceptionally strong fingers and an original mind. Some object to his wild manner of playing the classics, but even when he is not convincing, he is absorbing, so strong is his commitment. Savvy as ever, Shchedrin knew exactly how to take advantage of that commitment and flair. Two resplendent cadenzas in the last movement take the breath away. But the music is also so dazzlingly virtuosic that the wildness was built in for Mustonen. The performance was proud; the pianist beamed. The audience loved it.

Salonen gave Shchedrin a Russian frame. He began with Borodin’s Second Symphony, a colorful piece in the exotic Russian mold of “Prince Igor.” He concluded with Stravinsky’s “Petrushka.” Essentially 35 years separate these two works (Borodin finished his symphony in 1876 but revised it 11 years later; Stravinsky wrote “Petrushka” in 1911 but made a revised version in 1947), and it might seem that all music had changed in the time that separates these two scores. Salonen, however, made some unusual connections.

He found in Borodin’s folk melodies the hints of the kind of rhythmic exhilaration that Stravinsky would later exploit, again, through folk melody. And Salonen found in Borodin the kinds of tone color that Stravinsky would also exploit in his colorful ballet. That meant a certain scrubbing clean of textures at the expense of the symphony’s warmth. But Salonen’s “Petrushka” was sheer adrenaline rush.

The Philharmonic is going through personnel changes these days. It has been using guest principal cellists until that important post is filled. It is also shopping for a new principal trumpet. And it is still adjusting to the new stage configuration that thrusts the players out 16 feet closer to the audience. But everything sounded to the advantage of the music in “Petrushka.” The new acoustical immediacy added visceral sensations. And as a score that treats many members of the orchestra as soloists, identifying characters on stage with individual instruments, it offered an unusual opportunity for principal players to shine. The solo contributions were many, but most important were piano (at times, a mini piano concerto), and Zita Carno was heroic. Donald Green was the characterful solo trumpet.

* The Los Angeles Philharmonic program repeats tonight at 8, and Sunday, 2:30 p.m., $10 to $70, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave. (213) 365-3500.