Alexander Shelley conducts the Orchester Métropolitain this week in a program dedicated to Jocelyn Morlock, the Canadian composer who died recently at the age of 54, a concert which also includes works by Tchaikovsky and Richard Strauss.
The program, given again this Saturday in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, is called “Elegance à la Kerson Leong”, but the prince of elegance is indeed the English chef, starting with his remarkably preamble, entirely in French.
But there is much more. As shown in its sequel to rose knightthe precision, the distinction and the beauty of his gesture is something that we haven’t really seen since Lorin Maazel.
Gray efficiency
Since we are talking The Rose Knight, let’s get to the heart of the matter. The Orchester Métropolitain will need a tour. And very quickly! We have, in fact, the impression that the flame is fading in proportion to the embellishment of the OSM’s luster. The tours have the reputation of mobilizing the troops and their cohesion. At OM they have proven themselves, oh so many.
From the start of Strauss’s score, Alexandre Shelley tries to set the orchestra on fire. In Ottawa, concertmaster Yosuke Kawasaki would rise in his seat and lead the band. Here, nothing happens, it drags its feet and the group puts a damper on the drunkenness of the leader.
The fundamental problem is not so much there, but in the banality of the strings (except the violas, the basses not being in their best evening, Friday), the lack of personality of the colors, even in the woods and (we thinks he’s dreaming!) the horns, usually blazing.
The fact of hearing a Don Quixote de Strauss at the OSM two days ago sets the bar high and allows direct juxtaposition in terms of material, colors, density or “pulp” in thematic transitions, a desperately dull musical dimension on Friday.
Quick turnaround
We are very surprised by this, because when the Maison symphonique was built, some people thought that the gap between the two orchestras would be clearly visible. However, it was not seen that much and OM was, paradoxically, the big winner of the advent of the new room. During the pandemic, the activism of Yannick Nézet-Séguin gave great visibility to OM in the face of cautious management by the OSM.
It is therefore amazing to see how much, in this first “normal” post-pandemic season, the tide is turning. In any case, despite the quality and the correct instincts of the conductor, this Strauss was competent but stiff, rather dry and without any particular charm or sound cachet.
Previously, OM had followed Shelley very well in its tribute to Jocelyn Morlock, scheduled before the composer’s death. The work is superb, arranged in lyrical sections, impulsive or threatening, and supports very well an execution devoid of the visual support (to our memory My Name is Amanda Todd was accompanied by a film at creation).
In the first part, Kerson Leong performed with a lot of style the Violin Concerto by Tchaikovsky, paying great attention to the fullness and beauty of the sound production, both in the bass and on the chanterelle. He’s not one to take rash risks in terms of tempos, but the outfit was impeccable and the speech deeply grounded and detailed, qualities that were found in his encore, the ballad op. 27 #3 by Eugène Ysaÿe.