The Orchester Métropolitain presented its “Electric Revolution” program proposing the creation of the Theremin Concerto by Simon Bertrand, a pleasant and exotic discovery, during a concert illuminated by the recall of the soloist and marked by the debate that inevitably opens the mediocre performance of an insignificant conductor who had nothing to do with this stage.
Let’s start by saluting the tact of the management of the Orchester métropolitain who, with a keynote speech formulated with great sensitivity, dignity and respect, invited a minute’s silence in memory of Laval children.
Yukari Cousineau then made his entrance. She was the heroine of the evening, having known how to hold the orchestra which was in tune with the human metronome placed on the podium. This is also an important lesson: even when faced with the worst, OM in 2023 largely saves the furniture and delivers a very presentable show. That said, a solo violin, or the timpanist Julien Bélanger, who frames the rhythm, cannot manage balances, for example the opening of the ghost ship way “screaming metal”, or the side “fiesta of trombones” in Wagner and Dvořák.
Before rehearsals
Addressing Madame Candillari’s question is unfortunately drawing up a list of distressing faults: sequential direction, measure by measure, where nothing sings, no circulation of phrases and themes between the sections, no work on transitions, sketchy shades, and non-existent textures (Dvořák, 2e movement). Some have made a career out of 90-minute gigs of uninspiring “poster-sticker” type gestures, but they’re rare and sometimes have something to say musically.
What we heard was a first rehearsal stage where an assistant passes the baton to a conductor who comes over and says, “well we’re going to start working and making some music”. And again, we haven’t even talked about the setting up – cohesion of the woods – or the failed start of the Scherzo.
About the Theremin Concerto, once past the joy of sonic exoticism, this is the most disappointing score by Simon Bertrand that we have ever heard. The work is supposed to retrace the life of Leon Thérémine, an eventful life. Now, in the concerto, almost nothing happens. It is not because the instrument is immaterial that the concerto must be invertebrate!
In fact, the argument totally serves the work, a pretty composition, but rather a kind of meditation on life dating from a time when Simon Bertrand must have been obsessed with The Swan of Saint-Saens. The composer tried to integrate the theremin into the orchestra like Berlioz the viola in Harold in Italy. But unlike Harold, it’s placid, soothing and it lacks contrast. The remarkable Thorwald Jørgensen then performed a multifaceted meditative solo, showing all that could be drawn from this instrument. This encore, which plunged us into another world, saved what could be saved from the concert.
Pay for trial and error
It is necessary, from now on, to ask the questions which annoy, because it is perhaps a big unexpected part which has just engaged between OM and a public very far from being a kind of “collective mutt”. Confident in his smile and interpersonal skills, Yannick Nézet-Séguin thought he could “force diversity” by shoving it down our throats like stuffing ducks to make foie gras (the first year all his guest chefs were women, he put a hint of water in its wine this season).
We discussed it very openly in The duty, with the leader defending his line that strong gestures had to be made to score the mark. But the question posed on Friday is: can we “force diversity” through trial and error? Will the public continue to pay for this? Friday’s concert was indeed far from successful. Of these spectators who trusted, how many did Madame Candillari discourage from trying the experience again at the next unknown? Alondra de la Parra played with the 9e of Dvořák, Daniela Candillari screwed up the 7e. It remains the 8e as a playground. We risk not being takers.
So we come back to the questions asked this week already. This forceps militancy – which, at the very least, requires an implacable seriousness – does it serve the music? What competent chefs and chefs have we been deprived of for these experiments? Very curious feeling: we were very far from thinking of having to ask these questions so early in the process.