LA JOLLALA JOLLA — Classical music in San Diego has had a remarkable growth spurt the past few years.
San Diego Opera almost died five years ago, but under David Bennett reshaped itself into a marvelously vibrant company that mounts excellent traditional productions and provocative smaller-scale works.
After acquiring an inspiring young conductor, Rafael Payare, the San Diego Symphony has launched what promises to be its most exciting era.
The La Jolla Music Society has had setbacks recently. Kristin Lancino was president and artistic director for a little more than two years and then mysteriously resigned in January 2018. After a monthslong national search, a successor, Susan Danis, was named, but weeks after accepting her job offer, she rescinded.
But during these front office difficulties, a state-of-the-art structure was built in La Jolla, a venue the likes of which has not been seen locally since the debut of the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. Last weekend, the $82 million Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center opened, and on Friday evening, brand new CEO Ted DeDee took the stage of the Baker-Baum Concert Hall for introductory comments before a concert by violinist Midori and pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet.
Baker-Baum is a beautiful room faintly redolent of cedar. Blue illumination from backstage and hallways spill through openings. The space imparts a warm resonance to sounds, with an impressive lack of rumbling air systems or humming lights in quiet moments.
However, Midori’s and Thibaudet’s offerings of Schumann’s “Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 105” and Fauré’s “Violin Sonata No. 1 in A Major, Op. 13” revealed acoustic challenges needing adjustments. The balance between the violin and piano was off, with Midori at times insufficiently audible in moderately loud sections where she should have sounded out in front of her accompanist. (I was in left-rear-center seats).
Thibaudet’s piano notes had a sonic luminosity to their sheen. Similar playing in the Conrad Prebys Music Center Hall at UC San Diego would elicit a gentle clarity, but Baker-Baum adds a soft glow to the piano. But this same acoustic generosity threatened to — and at times did — overpower Midori’s violin, most noticeably during busy keyboard work.
Midori’s double-stopped violin octaves in Fauré’s Sonata should have popped, but they were dulled when the piano rippled behind her. Her pizzicatos could not be heard in some places.
After intermission, though, these problems were less noticeable. In the “Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Minor” by Debussy and Enescu’s “Violin Sonata no. 3 in A Minor, Op. 25,” Thibaudet dialed down his playing while Midori played out more.
Some of these differences might be attributed to the composers’ orchestrational abilities. Debussy and Enescu both understood the violin better than Schumann and Fauré; the sonatas of the former revel in the sonic possibilities of violin and piano that Fauré did not attempt and that frankly eluded Schumann.
This doesn’t fully explain the improved difference in balance on the second half — the performers must have tweaked their playing to the hall’s acoustics. Here Midori’s easy virtuosity and sensitive tone became apparent, and Thibaudet’s liquid or crisp playing made better accompaniment.
Individually, both performers are wonderful musicians, but their partnership dramatically improved after intermission.
There will probably be refinements to Baker-Baum, and musicians will need to learn how to play the hall. But for the time being, The Conrad — Baker-Baum in particular — is an enormous step forward for La Jolla Music Society and a priceless addition to San Diego's roster of concert venues.
Hertzog is a freelance writer.
