It was in a South American program that the OSM presented itself to its spectators this week. The concert was also broadcast live on television on Mezzo on Thursday evening. The repeats of this broadcast begin this Friday at 3 p.m. and are worth the detour since the concert attests to the great form of the orchestra and this alchemy which is taking shape with its conductor.
The program defended by Rafael Payare was not likely to attract crowds, despite the presence of the Bolero, with nearly 90 minutes of South American music not or little known to the general public. And yet Rafael Payare and the OSM brought together a fairly large audience for three concerts: Ginastera, Bellido, Villa-Lobos. This is encouraging and will allow one day to play Camargo Guarneri or the Piano concerto by Hekel Tavares for example.
Argentina-Brazil
THE Concert variations by the Argentinian Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983), are a kind of South American “Concerto for Orchestra” in various parts which feature soloists or orchestral sections. Originally, it was more of a work for chamber orchestra, that is to say very transparent and with modest numbers. But she has adapted well to the more opulent translation of the OSM and Payare. We particularly appreciated the poetic oboe variation and the brief feats of Andrew Wan. The final part is typical of Ginastera.
The piece de resistance of part 2 8th Bachianas Brasileiras de Villa-Lobos is truly intended for the symphony orchestra in all its fullness. The first movement, Preludio, builds power little by little. In the Aria (Modinha), a brief introduction prepares the entry of the first theme, played by the bass clarinet and four cellos. The recurring theme is varied until other ideas arrive. The 3rd movement is a Toccata, with the designation “catira batida”, a Brazilian rural dance with a rhythm in 6/8. It was an exciting movement that elicited applause that we could completely understand. But there was still the Fugue, which Payare concluded with a very impressive crescendo.
Olfactory concerto
The pianist Javier Perianes hastened to play the Ritual fire dance by Manuel de Falla as an encore after the Ephemeral concerto by the Peruvian Jimmy López Bellido, even though the public asked him nothing. The work of Bellido, born in 1978, is not unpleasant. There are lots of things going on that don’t have much to do with each other. Starting with the artistic pretensions, since the composer aims for an “olfactory” concerto evoking citrus scents in the 1st movement, undergrowth in the 2nd and patchouli and lavender in the 3rd.
We thought we had read everything in the claims and other “arguments” of contemporary creations, but the citrus and patchouli really hit the mark. In fact, the citrus fruit is a piano that hits like an anvil and plays hamster in its corner while the orchestra plays adulterated echoes of Rhine gold without taking care of him, while the meeting of patchouli and lavender concludes on the piano which apes the cadence of the 2nd Concerto of Prokofiev while the orchestra continues with what could be the music of Ben-Hur.
As for the “musky notes” of the 2nd movement, they bring out what could resemble a concerto. Make no mistake: like many works which absorb heritages or cultures, this one is not at all unpleasant if you like stereotypical formulas on the piano, often treated in the Bartók / Prokofiev style (like a percussive instrument). Several moments from the 2nd part and the beginning of the 3rd are very nice.
At the end of the evening, Rafael Payare led a Bolero very straight and intractable, where the inflections were mainly due to the nature of the instruments (saxophone and trombone were allowed jazzy excesses). The general performance of the orchestra was excellent.
All this was a great showcase for the OSM and its leader. Hopefully the cameras will come back for the 8th Symphony by Shostakovich.