The Obiora Ensemble gave the inaugural concert of its first season on Saturday. From 25 musicians at the first gathering two years ago, the orchestra from cultural diversity has grown to around fifty. The kick-off was given, in front of an audience committed to the cause and a Conseil des arts de Montréal visibly committed to the project.
Obiora owes more than a thank you and a serious tip of the hat to French conductor Samy Rachid, new assistant to Andris Nelsons at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, for having saved (and more) his inaugural concert after the withdrawal of the Venezuelan Glass Marcano, long awaited by the instigators of the adventure of this diversity orchestra, who saw all their efforts come to fruition this weekend.
Excellent mentor
Cellist of the Arod Quartet converted to conducting, Samy Rachid has had an impressive start to his career. He studied at the opera in Strasbourg and, in the symphonic repertoire, attended summer conducting courses in Switzerland (Gstaad and Verbier) in 2022 and 2023. He is indeed the clear and competent leader that What was needed for this first meeting: no glitter or fluff, but a solid foundation, clarity of movement and eloquent tempos, which highlight the music without pushing the musicians to their limits. Thus, Rachid makes the last part of the Tomb of Couperin and avoids Haydn Variations of Brahms to stretch out in languorous meanders.
On an orchestral level, the Prelude of Tomb of Couperin made us fear the worst, since the oboe was pedaling a little in the dark from his first interventions. Were we going to attend a craft party? Actually no. It was more about stage fright than instrumental problems, and the musician did very well afterwards. There were two passages more notable than others, a viola intervention in Ravel and a cello unison in Price’s concerto, which showed that the art is difficult, but, overall, the musicians surpassed themselves, and the concert was quite decent.
The evening allowed us to discover the 1er Concerto by Florence Price, at least that’s what we remember about the programmatic intentions, because with Obiora the QR code replaces everything, not only the program notes, but also the insignificant but useful leaflet which will tell us who and what that we are going to hear. In other places and in other contexts, the importance of “the quality of human intelligence” is being emphasized these days. This seems to be becoming important in this “eco-conscious” phase of concert life: we are therefore very happy to have been able to tell the person lost without their phone and panicked not knowing what they were doing. hearing that the orchestra was going to play Brahms for him. As long as she didn’t think she was at the I Musici or Orchester de l’Agora concert…
Supply and demand
To return to 1er Concerto by Price, played with aplomb and accuracy by Tanya Charles Iveniuk, Obiora’s concertmaster, it is a work in two phases: a 1er weak and interminable movement, where Price forgets all her qualities as a composer and creator of atmospheres and melodies, so obsessed is she with instilling reminiscences of violin strokes from the Concerto by Tchaikovsky. Then the 2e and 3e movements, well proportioned and inspired.
Pierre-Mercure was furnished with a large half-parterre for this premiere. Allison Migeon’s words in The duty are verified: the public is “other”. If we remove the professionals who came to express their solidarity, the room was mixed, with even several families with children. The challenge will be there. Did they come once out of curiosity or will they follow the proposed route over time?
Because when it comes to supply, it’s something entirely different. Unlike some festivals, such as Lanaudière this summer, the market has not yet recovered from the pandemic. Even cutting-edge ensembles like I Musici struggle to attract people, and we were very disappointed by the Salle des Violons du Roy for The Festeggiant Sennaa top international level show.
In this scenario of declining demand, adding supply to the equation will necessarily involve the creation of a “non-traditional” audience, which goes to neither, knowing also that, in the best case scenario, it will take years and years for Obiora to reach his musical level, not counting the dazzling revival of the Montreal Classical Orchestra and the relatively recent creation of the Agora Orchestra and its charismatic conductor, whose (philanthropic) aims are just as noble.
This audience will have to be retained. The real birth certificate – because a season is an act of existence – has been established. Very serious things begin.