FORT WORTH -- Bring on the Cliburn victors. Last month, 2005 Cliburn Competition silver medalist Joyce Yang performed an artful piano recital to begin this season's Cliburn at the Bass series. Friday evening at Bass Hall, it was Alexander Kobrin's turn as he played Chopin's romantic First Piano Concerto with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.
Kobrin's elegant, iridescent performance was worthy of his gold medal. Yet by the end of the concert, you felt like awarding gold medals to the entire orchestra and Music Director Miguel Harth-Bedoya for their stunning account of Elgar's Enigma Variations . With a feathery touch and sparkling passagework, Kobrin found the poetry in the Chopin concerto.
The beauty emerged from the start of the majestic first movement, especially in the Russian pianist's gorgeous shadings. Pianissimo echoes and tapered phrases lacked any hint of fussiness but breathed naturally with the music. Kobrin was also able to put aside personal ego and blend with the orchestra in the concerto's few moments of chamber music.
Images of shimmering water and airy bells emerged from the concerto's dreamy slow movement. Kobrin's rubato -- that is, his stretching of phrases -- was tasteful while still furnishing a sense of freedom and space. An etude-like virtuosity was given full expression in the final movement.
Accompanying Kobrin, Harth-Bedoya and the players gave remarkable presence to the concerto's limited symphonic material. Their opportunity to shine was in the Elgar. There was nothing at all enigmatic about the musicians' playing of these popular character sketches.
True to form, the strings played with a mighty luster. But every orchestra section was remarkable. Harth-Bedoya brought out fine balances and colors in the work's 14 variations.
By the time of the famous Nimrod variation, you felt like leaping out of your seat. Beginning with a hushed whisper, the players sustained their long phrases like a giant cathedral organ. The music had a moving Mahlerian sweep.
This year is the 150th anniversary of the English composer's birth. Music lovers in search of more Elgar should look no further than his two finished symphonies. For future seasons, the Fort Worth Symphony might want to consider these undervalued works, too.
Fort Worth Symphony with Alexander Kobrin 8 p.m. tonight and 2 p.
m. Sunday Bass Hall, Fort Worth $15-$76 817-665-6000; www.fwsymphony.
orgmerikson@star-telegram.com Matthew Erikson is the Star-Telegram classical music critic.
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