Modus Operandi Orchestra presents The Three Bs – Celebrating Beethoven – in Review
Justin Bischof, conductor and artistic director
Alexandre Moutouzkine, pianist
Merkin Hall at the Kaufman Music Center New York, NY
March 12, 2025
The Modus Operandi Orchestra (MOO) outdid itself this week (and that says a lot) in a tremendous all-Beethoven concert at Merkin Hall at the Kaufman Music Center, billing their program as “The Three Bs – Beethoven, Beethoven, and Beethoven” (riffing, of course, on the musical reference to “the three Bs” as Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms). The “three” part referred to the three works, in this case the Coriolan Overture Op. 62, the Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”), Op. 73, and the Symphony No. 7, Op. 92 – all masterpieces in their respective forms.
With David Geffen Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and other famous venues just a few blocks away – along with conservatory orchestras and concerts galore – it was heartening to see that Merkin Hall was packed with people so excited to hear a program of (presumably) familiar classics. A cheering crowd seemed to know they were in for a memorable night – and they were (including, we were told, thirty-two veterans and friends from the Manhattan School of Music and the Emet Classical Academy). The soloist for the Beethoven Concerto No. 5 would be brilliant Russian-American pianist Alexandre Moutouzkine, who has played with over sixty orchestras across the globe and garnered innumerable accolades (including from New York Concert Review), and the conductor would be, as ever for this orchestra, Justin Bischof, who is also artistic director for MOO (plus organist, fund-raiser, educator, and wearer of countless other hats). The orchestra would be, as it has proven repeatedly to be, a superb combination of some of the top-notch pros in the area, including concertmaster Eiko Kano (who is also the concertmaster for the Pegasus Orchestra and plays for various prominent orchestras in New York) and on this occasion thirty-three other instrumentalists. The Modus Operandi Orchestra may not rack up the hours of rehearsal that other full-time orchestras do, but – to play with another saying – sometimes the best things in life are freelance. There was often an edge-of-seat intensity to their playing that one sometimes misses in full-time orchestras.
Some may assume that there would have to be some trade-off between intensity and polish, but any such idea was dispelled right from the perilous opening chords of the overture. They were as close to perfection in timing of attacks and cutoffs as one could hope to hear. Those enjoying Maestro Bischof’s easygoing manner as raconteur might also not be braced for the ferocity of his musicianship, but after a succinct account of the story behind the Coriolan Overture, he wrung every bit of musical drama from its dualities, from the warring timpani to the imploring violins and every undercurrent along the way.
Incidentally, this reviewer had heard the Modus Operandi Orchestra play a portion of this program two years ago at St. Mary’s Church (Long Island City), where (as part of a Vienna-themed program) they paired the Coriolan Overture and 7th Symphony with a Mozart motet, aria, and symphony (the “Haffner” K. 385). The heft was definitely increased by the addition of the “Emperor” Concerto to the other Beethoven – and though it is generally agreed upon that the name “Emperor” did not come from Beethoven (nor have any relationship to the work) the name is considered by some to have stemmed from its immediate standing as a crowning achievement – or “Emperor”- among piano concerti. It requires a pianist of consummate abilities, and the choice of Alexandre Moutouzkine, with his impressive array of credentials, was not surprising.
Mr. Moutouzkine showed many of the qualities which undoubtedly contributed to his being chosen as major prizewinner and laureate in many important competitions (Arthur Rubinstein, Montreal, and many more). He is, first of all, reliable to the point of nearly note-perfect performances. On top of that, he is a sensitive collaborator. One of the highest virtues, in this reviewer’s opinion, is the ability to play a concerto as chamber music, and Mr. Moutouzkine does just that. Far beyond merely listening to the orchestra intently at crucial junctures, he appears to be living the music each moment, whether he is playing or not. (If this seems like an obvious sine qua non, this reviewer has heard many soloists without that habit – including one famous violinist who would tweak her shoes with her bow during orchestral sections, inviting speculation about just how much gum she might be removing). There was no question at this concert that the piano and orchestra were united throughout. Still more remarkable, Mr. Moutouzkine showed the ability to adjust by a nanosecond even in the middle of complex passages to facilitate imminent meeting points. His intelligence and mastery were always clear.
Quibbles are inevitable, when a reviewer has a lifetime of adoring a piece, but there were very few. One wish was for just a bit more breathing room in the espressivo moments and for the longer notes of the opening cadenzas. There was also – perhaps due to the piano itself – a tendency for forte and fortissimo sounds to verge on harshness, intensified by the necessary placement of the instrument so close to the edge of the stage in this small hall (such that the piano sound for seats near the front was overwhelming). The extremes of loudness were most conspicuous in the longest string of octaves in the first movement – as well as some of the almost Czerny-esque left-hand finger-work – but because Beethoven’s works are organic wholes, the already wide dynamic range became hard to process. Some pianissimo sections were also so extreme (perhaps from an abundance of caution with the resonance), that they felt by contrast as if they had come from a different planet from the fortes, rather than sharing the same musical “DNA” as the rest of the piece.
Whatever ideals there may be for such music, all in all Mr. Moutouzkine’s performance was outstanding, full of emotion and brilliance that had the audience unable to contain its applause even after just the first movement. The meltingly beautiful second movement had all the tender care it invites, and the rousing finale was victorious.
After intermission, the MOO celebrated Beethoven with the Seventh Symphony, one of Beethoven’s most beloved works and one that even Beethoven himself considered one of his finest. As Maestro Bischof shared, it is a work which even in its premiere elicited an encore of the second movement – then quipping, “we’re not going to do that.”
The orchestra’s performance of this work seemed to have grown even stronger since their 2023
Vienna-themed concert. This reviewer had singled out special contributions then (e.g., the flutes and horns), but that would be hard to do at this concert, as the entire orchestra truly shone. Having been seated right below the cellists, bassists, and timpanist, one could not help admiring them in particular throughout the concert – but all players gave their all. Maestro Bischof’s sensitive approach to the profound Allegretto brought back the tragic spirit that had opened the program with the Coriolan, and he led us through Beethoven’s miraculous transformations. The ensuing Presto was infectiously jubilant, and the Finale was a triumph. Both seemed to emanate from much larger forces than were present.
In summary, the evening was a tremendous tribute to Beethoven. In lieu of an encore, one could only leave with the music in one’s mind, thinking how fortunate the world is to have had Beethoven – and how fortunate New Yorkers are to have the Modus Operandi Orchestra and their illustrious guest artists.
