Review: Pianist George Li performs a poetic, graceful Liszt concerto with the Minnesota Orchestra

Romantics aren’t customarily shy about expressing their feelings. And such was definitely the case with classical composers of the romantic era. As the 19th century went on, much of the music grew more and more emotional, as if the composers were trying to top one another in their earnestness and intensity.

You can hear it in this weekend’s Minnesota Orchestra concerts. Standing at the center of each is the First Piano Concerto of Franz Liszt, with 29-year-old Boston-based pianist George Li as soloist. And flamboyance, thy name is Liszt. The composer was a showy virtuoso on the ivories, and his first concerto could convince you that all the talk must be true about Liszt being the first rock star, inspiring fainting spells among fans and attracting many a groupie.

Antonín Dvořák was more of a family man. Born 30 years later than Liszt, he built his emotional outpourings around the folk flavors of his native Bohemia, lending a sweep to his symphonies that was like the aural equivalent of being surrounded by rolling hillsides that stretch into the distance.

Dvořák’s Sixth Symphony is a prime example of his rustic romantic vision, and it closes this weekend’s concerts, which are led by Portuguese conductor Nuno Coelho, making his Orchestra Hall debut. It proved a fine showcase for the orchestra’s richly textured string sound and the sweet soloing capabilities of its wind players.

That said, in Friday night’s concert Coelho was often choosing volume over nuance. There were many opportunities to bring more subtlety and delicacy into the Dvořák symphony, but, save for a pair of quieter interludes, the conductor opted instead for loudness.

The same could be said of the concert-opening performance of Du Yun’s 2012 piece, “Kraken.” While it started in a suitably mysterious and menacing place for a work inspired by a mythical sea monster, its stormy sound grew relentless in its final section, resulting in a kind of orchestral scream that drowned out much of the complexity within Yun’s score. While the three percussionists handled their varied duties extremely well, it all became something of a cacophony down the stretch.

Thankfully, pianist Li was intent upon taking a considerably softer approach to the Liszt concerto. Yes, he could summon up thunder, but he’d always seek a smooth exit from the conflict by engaging in lovely dialogues with clarinetist Gregory Williams and others among the winds.

Liszt can invite a pianist to go the showboat route, but Li would have none of it, instead finding the contemplative spiritual seeker within this composer’s voice, most notably in the middle movements. That’s when the pianist was at his most poetic and graceful, drawing the audience into a meditative reverie. (It bears remembering that, after he was done with the groupies, Liszt eventually became a priest.)

An enthusiastic ovation inspired the pianist to continue his quest for beauty on a mesmerizing encore of Debussy.

And while the Dvořák Sixth was a little loud for my tastes, it benefitted from the orchestra’s sublimely blended string sound and overflowed with exceptional solos from among the winds, particularly principal French horn Michael Gast. He expressed the urgency and open-hearted nature of romanticism with expert eloquence, offering a welcome respite from the fortissimo eruptions around it.

With: Conductor Nuno Coelho and pianist George Li

What: Works by Du Yun, Franz Liszt and Antonin Dvorak

When: 7 p.m. Sat.

Where: Orchestra Hall, 1111 Nicollet Mall, Mpls.

Tickets: $46-$116, available at 612-371-5656 or minnesotaorchestra.org

Rob Hubbard can be reached at wordhub@yahoo.com.