Rafael Payare will lead the 9th Symphony by Beethoven four times this week. Tuesday’s concert, filmed and broadcast starting June 4 on Symphony.live, bears witness to a welcome change in the presentation of this work at the OSM.
For fifteen years, the Ninth was the reserved domain of Kent Nagano, an approach marked by musicological research and intellectual abstractions, where the musical material proves to be more sensitive (3rd movement and, above all, Finalfor example in the march sung by the tenor).
The OSM’s new music director, Rafael Payare, is no less logical. He approaches the score in a very meticulous way, for example in the dynamic layers of the 2nd movement, or the management of the cantabile and the tempo ratios of the slow movement. But, as he said in an interview with To have to, no thought is episodic or sequential. In the Final, the tenor’s march clearly highlights the Turkish colors because it does not take to their heels. Also, the fugue that follows harbors real power in an executable tempo.
Polyphonic Clarity
The staying power of this conception is remarkable, especially in the coda of the 1st movement, very rarely so well held at tempo. Often the conductors accelerate during the crescendo, but the edifice is much more impressive when the driving is steady. Added to this is the quality of the polyphonic management throughout the interpretation of the work, with a very beautiful development of the woodwinds.
From this point of view, Rafael made very good choices and choices that were not necessarily comfortable for him. He places the orchestra in Montreal in a different way than in San Diego (and therefore does not have to direct the entrances to the same places!) because the Montreal placement is historically more relevant and acoustically more effective in our hall. Thus violins I and II are opposed on stage and the raised double basses on the left give the bass a lot of impact (a cello core, double basses, timpani horns give a nice backbone). The passage that benefits the most from this device is at the center of the 3rd movement a sort of “trio” between the horn, the woodwinds and a circulation of pizzicatos on the strings of the most marvelous effect.
We are not of the opinion that the recitative character of the double basses, to growing doubt, at the beginning of the Final really is the right choice. Playing these interventions more in time would have more impact. It is a chef’s choice, which others share with him. But the big downside of the execution, while the orchestra is of a perfect implication, is to be put to the debit of the choir.
The German sabir
Certainly the choir sings in tune and well, but the pronunciation is a shapeless sabir. No, or almost no, “z”, “s”, “t”, “r” or “k”, while all German singing is based on consonants, that is absolutely incredible. It was the same under Kent Nagano. If Mr. Megill is unable to teach this to the choristers, let him be accompanied by a language coach! Too bad, because the instrumental eloquence deserved to be added an eloquence of the sung text. The quartet of soloists was well chosen.
Rafael Payare introduced the concert with two choral scores by Brahms conducted with adequate fluidity. It was important for the OSM to be able to run them, because they will be part of a concert in Vienna, of the European tour, next October.
In this regard, the orchestra, which last night welcomed the retirement of three of its members, cellist Sylvie Lambert, clarinetist Michael Dumouchel and trumpeter Jean-Luc Gagnon, published its 2022-2023 program yesterday. Rafael Payare will open the season with the 2nd of Mahler and will close it with the Third. Finally, the OSM will welcome Barbara Hannigan and has entrusted a concert to Osmo Vänskä. As for the craziest poster, it will see the association of Daniil Trifonov and Sergeï Babayan in the Concerto for 2 pianos and percussion by Bartok.