A Violin Concerto for the Latest Generation

Last night at the Cleveland Orchestra, I heard a performance of Augusta Read Thomas’ Violin Concerto no. 3, “Juggler in Paradise,” sandwiched between Bernstein’s visceral suite from "On the Waterfront" and Copland’s grandiloquent Symphony no. 3. Performed by the orchestra's concertmaster, William Preucil, "Juggler in Paradise" is a 20-minute work in one movement which utilizes a huge orchestra to surprisingly little end. Its sonic palette consists mainly of chimes and splashes of orchestral color (the percussion section was kept busy) in addition to a pointillistic dialogue darting between the solo violin and various sections of the orchestra utilizing neo-Webernian melodic skips. I discerned little contrast of any sort throughout the work and the dialogue wasn’t particularly engaging.

I suppose there is some intellectual interest in the tintinnabulation, but the piece seemed to lack in both heart and grist, the overall effect being much like tinsel hung on a non-existent tree. I have no doubt that the piece was performed well enough but, for a concerto, the solo violin part was relatively negligible, utilizing neither Preucil's fierce virtuosity nor his soaring lyrical tone, and he seemed relatively uninspired by the whole thing. It struck me that, programmed between the emblematic soundtrack for a 1950’s brooding Brando flick and post-war, late 1940’s Marshall-Plan optimism of the Copland, this was a concerto for the generation of the Apple Store and Android phones - more buzz than meaning, all shine and no substance.