Those of you who followed Eargasms during Spoleto know that I was only able to keep up with the best stuff with the help of guest bloggers – mostly fellow musicians and knowledgeable classical fans around town. I’m finding that, even during the regular season, it’s well-nigh impossible to keep up with all the best events … a working stiff with heavy writing on the side simply can’t spend every evening at a concert. And so I missed last Friday’s Bavarian Philharmonic concert. But I’m lucky to have good backup.

Lee Kohlenberg is one of Charleston’s handful of top church musicians, and my own esteemed choirmaster at St. Michael’s Church. But the range and depth of his musical knowledge and understanding go far beyond sacred organ and choral music. You name it: if it’s mainstream classical, Lee can talk (or write) about it with deep insight and passion. I’m delighted to welcome him to Eargasms as this season’s first guest blogger.

By the way, there’s another reason I wanted to be able to cover this event here – namely the fact that this concert reflects a growing trend in modern orchestral playing. The Period Performance movement of recent decades, in addition to using ancient instruments, also offers a historically-informed approach to older instrumental music. And it has apparently rubbed off on larger orchestras that continue to use modern instruments. We’re used to hearing Beethoven, Brahms and other major 19th-Century composers from big, lush-sounding orchestras. But now we’re hearing this music increasingly from smaller ensembles that cultivate a clearer, more incisive approach: vibrato-less strings are just one aspect of it. Also, many of the past century’s leading conductors often ignored Beethoven’s (and other composers’) own tempo markings: another practice that is now being reversed. The result is cleaner, crisper, more transparent sound that reveals new sonic textures — with livelier tempos completing the transformation. And here’s what all this meant to Mr. Kohlenberg:

“Exhilarating” – “awe-struck” – “the nuance of a string quartet from an orchestra of just under 60” – “the best concert in years in Charleston” … these are some of the comments I heard in response to the all-Beethoven concert last Friday of the Bavarian Philharmonic Orchestra at the Gaillard. As a regular concertgoer for the last 46 years, including regular attendance at the Pittsburgh and Chicago Symphonies’ subscription concerts, I can’t recall ever hearing more exciting and captivating Beethoven. The dynamic contrasts brought out Beethoven’s uniqueness and the drama in the music, which included the “Eroica” Symphony (No. 3). Young pianist Orion Weiss played with clarity and maturity of expression in the “Emperor” Concerto (No. 5).

The motives and themes jumped out of the texture, with trumpets and timpani that added drama, yet never overpowered. The solo playing in the winds was expressive but not affected, and I could hear the piano in the concerto throughout. The conductor, Enoch zu Guttenberg, chose the orchestra’s members for their awareness of style and willingness to approach the music without vibrato as the norm. Favoring a chamber music approach to orchestral playing, he transmitted his unique vision for the music to the players, allowing them to work together to bring it to vivid life.

I went expecting diversion and refreshment through familiar music and came away excited and moved, as if I’d heard the pieces for the first time.

Lee Kohlenberg