While the Orchestre symphonique de Québec and the Violons du Roy (and more recently the Orchestre Métropolitain) are subscribers to the Domaine Forget International Music and Dance Festival, this is not the case for I Musici, which had not breathed the great air of Charlevoix for several years. Saturday night’s concert, although uneven, raised the spirits of the modest audience that had come for the occasion.
A half-parterre for a recognized Montreal ensemble may indeed be disappointing, but it may take a few years for the orchestra to gain its loyal following in the region, as is the case for the others that the Domaine has been hosting for a longer time.
The conductor of I Musici, Jean-François Rivest, explained the ins and outs of the concert well: a first part (Divertimento in D majorK. 136, by Mozart, and Concerto for piano and trumpet no 1 in C minorop. 35, by Shostakovich) under the sign of a lively youth, then a second part (Adagio and Fugue in C MinorK. 546, of one, and Chamber Symphony in C minorop. 110a – the String quartet no 8 transcribed for orchestra –, on the other) marked by a pessimistic maturity.
A program that, he also specified, is in keeping with the history of this ensemble founded by Yuli Turovsky, who had known Shostakovich. The latter’s son (conductor Maxim Shostakovich) and grandson (Dmitri junior, pianist) also recorded the two aforementioned works by the Russian composer with I Musici for Chandos in the 1980s!
So, in shape, I Musici? Enough in Shostakovich, less in Mozart. Playing with little vibrato as the Montreal musicians did in the two works of the latter (now the norm in this repertoire) often makes intonation more difficult.
It was even quite painful at times in the Entertainmentotherwise conducted with great spirit by Jean-François Rivest, with great lines and a few ornaments renewing the listening of this work which is, after all, often heard.
It was less obvious in theAdagio and fuguewritten, it is true, in a completely different style. The conductor chooses for the first part a tempo more “andantino” than “adagio”, and a rather sedate Allegro, which nevertheless allows him to bring out each element well.
Intonation issues were less of a concern in Shostakovich, particularly in the concerto, featuring Italian pianist Benedetto Lupo, who had just completed a week of master classes at the Domaine academy, and Montreal trumpeter Stéphane Beaulac, first chair at the Orchestre Métropolitain.
From the first, we remember the velvet sound, even in the fortissimos, and from the second, a perfect control of the emission throughout.
There Chamber Symphony was probably the highlight of the evening, Jean-François Rivest’s investment being matched only by that of his musicians. Moving diaphanous violin by Julie Triquet in the first movement.
Next big event at the Domaine: July 12, 8 p.m., with pianists Shai Wosner and Henry Kramer in a program of Purcell, Schumann and Ravel.