A figurehead of classical music in Quebec, Alexandre Da Costa is far from unanimous within the Orchester symphonique de Longueuil (OSDL), which he has directed since 2019. Over the past four years, 18 musicians have left the ship, according to their union: an abnormally high number for an organization which normally has about forty.
If the maestro’s artistic choices are disputed, many even go so far as to question his skills.
Last year, the management and the Musicians’ Guild, the union that represents the artists of the orchestra, formally requested the help of the Ministry of Labor in order to improve the working climate. A mediation process was launched last November. According to our information, the arrival of Alexandre Da Costa is directly linked to the wave of departures, which the main interested party puts into perspective.
There are people who will say that it’s okay, that we have to democratize classical music, because it’s too stuffy… But I don’t agree! There are other conductors who work miracles to bring the public to the classical.
An orchestra of this size loses an average of one or two members each year, the union estimates. In the case of the OSDL, we are talking about four or five resignations annually for four years.
“Alexandre Da Costa is a very talented musician, but he is not a chef! He doesn’t know how to lead. Ordinary people may not see a difference, but it’s very important for musicians to rely on a solid conductor,” explains violinist Monique Lagacé, who left the Orchester symphonique de Longueuil in the summer. last while she had been there since its foundation in 1986.
The duty was able to talk to about ten musicians who have left the orchestra or who are seriously considering doing so because of the current work climate. The vast majority of musicians we spoke to agree: Alexandre Da Costa is certainly a talented violinist, but he does not have the necessary skills to conduct an orchestra.
They also accuse him of having hijacked the original mission of the OSDL, namely the promotion of classical music in the Montérégie region. The possibility that the orchestra will change its name to become the “Orchestre national du Québec” is the perfect illustration of this, we whisper backstage. “It’s completely ridiculous as a name! In the music community, it’s seen as a joke. It lacks class. “National Orchestra”, it does not represent who we are”, does not take off a musician who does not wish to be identified since she always plays with the orchestra.
A turn that goes wrong
Alexandre Da Costa has become accustomed to occupying a leading role during OSDL shows. Not only is he the conductor, but he also happens to play the violin in front of the stage. All in a register and a style that blurs the codes between classical music and popular music.
Most of the musicians we spoke to felt like they had been relegated to the background in this artistic process. Some say they feel like they’re no longer playing for a symphony orchestra, but for a backing ensemble.
“We have become accessories. Everything is done to highlight it. I even wonder if the orchestra still does classical. It’s very flash, it’s very popular, there’s not a lot of depth. There are people who will say that it’s okay, that we have to democratize classical music, because it’s too stuffy… But I don’t agree! There are other conductors who work miracles to bring the public to the classical. We have an educational mission and we are missing out,” denounces oboist Josée Marchand. The latter also ended up slamming the door of the OSDL last year.
A controversial appointment
From the start, the appointment of Alexandre Da Costa was perceived as an affront by various members of the orchestra to whom we were able to speak.
To succeed Marc David, who had directed the orchestra for 25 years, two candidates had been selected at the end of the selection process in which not only members of the management participated, but also of the orchestra. These two finalists, Nicolas Ellis and Mélanie Léonard, had been invited to conduct the orchestra for a concert during the 2018-2019 season in order to decide between them.
But even before the process was completed, in January 2019, the board of directors surprisingly announced the appointment of Alexandre Da Costa. He had never led the musicians of the OSDL then, which is rather unusual. In classical music, it is customary for an aspiring conductor to conduct the musicians during a test concert before being formalized in his duties.
“There was a lot of apprehension from the start, because no one had seen him lead an orchestra,” recalls a musician who is still evolving within the OSDL. “We had the impression that the dice were loaded from the start,” adds one of his colleagues, who regrets that the opinion of the musicians was ignored.
The board of directors reiterates its confidence in Alexandre Da Costa and says that it chose him in January 2019 in full knowledge of the facts, with the avowed idea of attracting a wider audience. “Alexandre has a cultural proposal that is innovative, and that’s what attracted us. I can tell you that the board of directors was unanimous. But of course, we know very well that anything that stands out can also be disturbing. […] Haven’t all the greats of this music world been criticized at one time or another? “defends Jean-Jacques Rainville, who chairs the board of the OSDL.
Me Nor does Rainville fail to point out that the orchestra has never enjoyed as much visibility as since Alexandre Da Costa took over as its conductor. During the pandemic, the OSDL was talked about for its series of shows in front of the balconies of CHSLDs. The orchestra also presented a tour of South America last summer.
Not that popular
Joined in Australia, where he is on tour until the end of March, Alexandre Da Costa defends the shift he is instilling in the Orchester symphonique de Longueuil. He recognizes that his approach clashes in the very rigid environment, he says, of symphonic music. And he assumes the fact that it may shock the purists, including some musicians of the orchestra.
“You have to distinguish between our special projects — where we have to meet our customers’ expectations — and our regular season. […] And I think our regular season is very balanced between more classic concerts and other, more hybrid ones. […] It is possible to make great, very purist works, but with a very democratized context”, tempers the one who is a columnist on the show Draw me a morning on ICI Première.
To those who doubt his skills, Alexandre Da Costa replies that he is rather of the European school, where musicians can be promoted to conductors, as opposed to the North American tradition, in which those who direct the musicians are usually career maestros.