Review: Dame Jane Glover, Dame Imogen Cooper, and Music of the Baroque Orchestra Ascend the Summit of Mozart

In a sold-out North Shore Center in Skokie on Sunday night, Music of the Baroque scaled the Summit of Mozart in a lovely performance of that composer’s last two symphonies and his last piano concerto. With Dame Jane Glover conducting the MOB orchestra, Dame Imogen Cooper gave the first of her last two performances in the United States before her expected retirement next year.

Much has been written about the unknown circumstances behind the composition and performance of Mozart’s last three symphonies, and the sadness that, in the few short years left to his life, he never had an occasion to write another one. When he wrote them in 1788, there’s no way he could have known that his 35-year-old body would give out in 1791. Even so, these three symphonies have a weird finality to them, especially the last one. As Music of the Baroque suggested in the program’s title, these symphonies, along with his final piano concerto, represent a summit.

MOB generally played it well. Their only challenge when playing classical symphonies is balance. There were times when the seven first violins and six second violins were just not loud enough over the winds and the brass, especially in the first two movements of Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 in G-minor, which opened the concert. Things got better afterwards, but balance issues did return on occasion. Dame Glover certainly has control over this, but I’m wondering if MOB should add more strings when they leave the baroque era and enter the realm of the classical. Even when the balance was better, the violins still lacked oomph.

As conductor, Dame Glover is fun to watch. With no podium in the way, she usually kept the beat with a baton in her right hand. In the slow movements of both symphonies, however, she used her right hand to massage the sounds while holding the baton in her left without using it. Even watching her from behind, her presence is commanding.

Other than balance and a couple of minor hiccups, the performance of the dark G-minor symphony was really good, with clean phrasing and tight interactions. Dame Glover was able to create a gloomy mélange of sounds and feelings as the opening Molto Allegro transitioned into the recapitulation. The balance was much better in the Minuetto and Finale: Allegro Assai.

Balance was also less of an issue when Dame Imogen Cooper performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27 in B-flat major. She entered the stage after a warm welcome by Dame Glover, who shared about their many performances since their first meeting in 1983. She got a bit choked up when mentioning that Dame Cooper was retiring. These two performers share a lot of memories.

This is a concerto I have never been all that into. It’s not very flashy, and, to me, it is not very interesting melodically. However, this performance brought out subtly and harmonic richness that I had not previously noticed. During transitions between the various sections and elsewhere, there was an anticipatory feeling, an anxious sense of wonderment about what would come next.

After the clean opening orchestral tutti in the Allegro, Dame Cooper entered very daintily with precise playing. She exhibited perfect touch in the climbing runs that start with the left hand and seamlessly end with the right. Throughout, she interacted well with the ensemble. Especially memorable was her duet with the flutist Mary Stolper in the slow, Larghetto second movement. The interpretation of the perky Rondo: Allegro finale also worked. Dame Cooper’s cadenzas were flawless everywhere.

Following intermission, we got a wonderful performance of one of those greatest symphonies ever written, Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 in C-Major, “Jupiter.” This symphony really represents a summit. Mozart threw everything he had into it, and it is magnificent. When I can sit back and allow the sounds of a favorite piece to just flow over me, I’m in a great place.

The performers were enjoying it, too. As the harmonies switched back and forth between one chord and its dominant at the end of the exposition and the recap of the opening Allegro vivace, Dame Glover swayed with the music. Balance was not a big issue in the “Jupiter,” as was evident in the Andante cantabile when the muted violins held their own very nicely amongst the other sections. Also, trumpets were onstage for the first time of the evening, and they blended well with the horns and winds.

Only during the minuet did things slip a little. Phrasing was not the cleanest, and one of violins’ bow slid through a phrase. Also, these days it hardly ever happens when ensembles honor Mozart’s requested repeats of the development and recap in sonata-form movements, which also did not happen on Sunday. Even so, as they worked their way through the amazing coda of the Finale: Multo Allegro, goosebumps appeared. Always a good sign.

Imogen Cooper made her final stateside appearance at MOB’s concert at Harris Theater last night. Next month Nicholas Kraemer will be conducting Music of the Baroque’s next performances, Vivaldi & Beyond. Concertmaster Gina DiBello on violin, Mary Stolper on flute, and Laura Osterlund on recorder will solo in music by Vivaldi, JS Bach, CPE Bach, Telemann, and Haydn. North Shore Center, Sunday, October 18, 7:30 pm, and Harris Theater, Monday, October 19, 7:30. For more info, [click here](/vivaldi.