Metropolitan Orchestra | set fire to the ice

It was the Orchester Métropolitain’s turn to return to theaters on Friday after the Orchester symphonique de Montréal, Les Idéeshappys and I Musici. An uneven evening, but definitely worth the trip.

The concert was largely devoted to local music, with the Quebec Concerto by André Mathieu and Walk by Isabelle Panneton. There is little to say about this latest work, which is the first commission made by Yannick Nézet-Séguin after he became conductor of the Métropolitain, some twenty years ago.

Moved after the concerto – which it was originally intended to precede – it is composed of sequences of long dissonant chords with repeated notes and a few chirps in the woodwinds. She rather left us unmoved.

André Mathieu’s work is of a completely different ilk. Sometimes clumsy in terms of composition, it nevertheless touches the listener directly with its sincerity and generosity.

It is known that Alain Lefèvre did a lot to popularize the score, which he engraved twice. It is nevertheless fortunate that other interpreters, like Jean-Philippe Sylvestre (but also Jean-Michel Dubé), also put their hands in the dough.

The guest soloist admitted a few days ago in an interview that he was greatly inspired by the recording made by the composer in the 1940s. For anyone familiar with Lefèvre’s version with the Orchester symphonique de Québec, the surprise is however of size. We go from 27 minutes (Lefèvre) to 21 minutes (Sylvestre).

It is obviously not a question of sanctifying Lefèvre’s recording, but the fact remains that the first movement is marked “allegro moderato” and not “presto”.

Sylvestre seems to want to give the piano part the character of an unbridled improvisation, to the detriment of sonic opulence, singing and rhythmic holding.

André Mathieu’s recording is undoubtedly a precious document, but it is the product of a very young man (with the impetuosity that implies) and was made for a film, with all the timing constraints that that entails. can lead to.

A leader in control

As an encore, the pianist offered the irresistible finale of the Sonata No. 7 by Prokofiev with a somewhat cautious tempo, but an irresistible swaying.

The concert ended with the Symphony No. 4 in A minoropus 63, by Sibelius, recorded by ATMA as part of the ongoing complete work by Nézet-Séguin and the Métropolitain.

It is not an “easy” work like Mathieu’s. It is recognized as the most austere of the Finnish composer, who wrote it at a difficult time in his life. The Fourth is beautiful, but cold as a block of ice. But Nézet-Séguin patiently and lovingly sculpted it before our eyes to give it a human face.

It is a privilege to see live a great conductor engrave for posterity a work of which he has an impressive mastery and a well-defined conception. The orchestra, which had to practice it twice rather than once in anticipation of the disc, interprets it with equal assurance. You had to be there to hear the lush string sounds of the third movement. Everything is nobility, true emotion, without sentimentality, without complacency.

The concert was broadcast live and will be available on the orchestra’s website all weekend.