On Jan. 7, the New York Philharmonic concluded its four concert performances of Strauss’s “Also sprach Zarathustra.” The concert cycle featured Strauss’s famed tone poem, Berlioz’s Song Cycle “Les nuits d’été” and a 2021 piece by Samy Moussa entitled “Elysium.”

The result of the concert was a mismatched evening featuring some very inspired playing.

“Elysium”

The concert opened with Moussa’s piece “Elysium,” a work that opens with dissonant string chords that sounded almost otherworldly. This soon led to the brass section playing something close to a fanfare, as it melded with the dissonant string chords. The piece developed with heavy brass, rhythmic winds, and strings continuously playing chords and rhythmic runs. The piece itself was reminiscent of a film score for an action movie or even something one might hear during a war movie, a space movie, or “Oppenheimer.” As I listened to the piece, I almost wanted to see images in front of me as I believe it would have enhanced the experience. Conductor Kevin John Edusei led the performance with a blistering sound that continuously rose to a crescendo and then to a piano sound that was ethereal and dreamlike. While I found the piece fascinating, the balance between the strings and brass section was nonexistent. This piece itself is brass-heavy and effective but leaves the strings in the background, creating music that sometimes feels too bombastic.

That said, one might see why Edusei programmed Strauss’s tone poem with “Elysium,” which has similar colors, and the opening of both pieces are similar in style. However, I couldn’t help but wonder why Moussa’s piece was so short. It seemed like it could go into more places and this is perhaps why I felt it was best for a cinema score. I, however, did enjoy the work and would be fascinated to hear more of this composer’s music.

“Les nuits d’été”

The second piece of the evening was Berlioz’s “Les nuits d’été” which was a complete contrast between the opening “Elysium” and “Also sprach Zarathustra.” The Berlioz song cycle is a soothing elegiac work in six movements, giving the soloist time to show several colors. But on this evening it seemed out of place and anticlimactic. Isabel Leonard was the soloist on this evening and she graced the stage with elegance and care for each of the movements. Not everything was smooth sailing though as “La Spectre de la Rose” had some intonation issues especially when she went into her higher range. Her full sound sometimes lost its plush timbre. Her “Sur les lagunes: Lamento” also suffered from balance issues with the orchestra covering her in certain moments and her chest voice was sometimes inaudible. That being said, Leonard had a spectacular performance opening with “Villanelle” where she sang with rhythmic precision and crisp diction.  Her “Sur les Langues” was incredibly expressive as she repeated the main melody and each time brought a darker color that expressed the pain of the text. She contrasted the forte sound with a mezzo piano that floated with ease from the middle to the lower depths of her voice. Her “Absence” and “Au cimetiere: Clair de lune” once again showcased Leonard’s gorgeous legato line as she contained the sound remaining almost always in a mezzo forte to piano. She also conveyed the nostalgia of the text with subtle whispering tones. The final movement, “L’Ile Inconnue,” saw Leonard’s sound brighten as she opened the movement with an assertive quality and an emphasis on the text. Leonard’s voice opened up almost reaching a forte and she slowly scaled back her voice to a contained sound as she ended the piece once again emphasizing a longing that was heard through her interpretation.

“Also sprach Zarathustra”

The evening concluded with Strauss’s famed tone poem that has become most recognizable for its inclusion in Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The orchestra opened the fanfare with an apocalyptic sound that resounded throughout David Geffen Hall. Edusei then scaled the orchestra back for the “Of Great Longing” section emphasizing the darker orchestral colors especially in the cellos and the basses as the booming low notes resonated with nostalgia. That was also present in the “The Dirge” section where Edusei drew back the sound to a piano and slowly built the march. “Of Joy and Passion” saw the string sections lighter colors come out and the conductor slowly crescendoed the part giving way to Strauss’ passionate music. In “Of Science,” the violin sections really emphasized the supernatural sounds of the high positions with the section sliding into the extremes of the instrument. But what struck me most was how Edusei contrasted the ecstatic “Dance Song,” performing it with rhythmic cohesion and working with the joyful colors of the piece to then end the entire evening with a more solemn and ethereal sound as it died down. The violins playing their chords and the cellos and basses responding with the pizzicato sound that eventually faded. Props to the soloists of this piece which really captured the virtuosity of Strauss’s writing.

Overall it was a fine performance with Edusei making an impression in the Strauss and Moussa.