The concert by the trio Nakariakov, Kashimoto, Meerovitch given Monday evening at the Bourgie Hall will be repeated this Tuesday at the Palais Montcalm in Quebec, as part of the Musical Club programming. It is very highly recommended because the “Paganini of the trumpet” has lost none of its magical presence.
We have somewhat forgotten to what extent Sergeï Nakariakov is an exceptional musician and instrumentalist. Aged 46, he has been in our musical landscape for 30 years now, since his first album was recorded by Teldec in February 1993: he was only 15 years old. The young trumpeter quickly became passionate about the flugelhorn or Flügelhorn (literal, false but poetic translation, “winged horn”). It is a brass with a soft sound, less piercing than the trumpet and more flexible than the horn.
Nakariakov is a master in the art of this instrument, which he bends to musical demands, both in the elegiac feeling (Romances by Schumann, adapted from Romances for oboe and piano) than in the whirling exaltation (Allegro, op. 70, by Schumann and Final of Trio with horn by Brahms) with, above all, a richness of colors that the French horn does not have, being more crude and less vibrant.
Nakariakov is a very sensitive instrumentalist, who manages to express himself perfectly, and with impeccable accuracy, using the Flügelhorn. A concert with him is therefore a rare experience.
Bad idea
Fortunately, he is surrounded by choice partners: Maria Meerovitch, energetic and nuanced pianist, and Daishin Kashimoto, concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic, with a biting temperament and mellow sound.
THE Trio op. 40 of the group is a jewel of instrumental beauty and musical balance, as Kashimoto and Meerovitch combine in a 3rd Sonata by Grieg, very muscular (the pianist’s interventions) but also very differentiated and nuanced (some splendid attacks in the accompaniment under the 2nd theme of the 1st movement).
Before the appearance of the stars of the evening, we were treated to a “gift”, resulting from an initiative which, a priori, seems laudable in every way: “The rising stars of the Bourgie Hall”, a competition in higher education establishments here, which led to the selection of a trumpeter, a singer, jazz pianist, classical pianist, guitarist and violinist. Winners are entitled to perform before the concert (but in front of the concert audience at the scheduled start time) and can rub shoulders with the star for an hour the day before.
Unfortunately the aperitifs are sometimes bitter and the idea, although seemingly laudable, is not necessarily a good one. It cannot be said that trumpeter Christopher Keach, a student at Schulich, served the cause by fighting against Concerto op. 18 of Oskar Böhme, possibly, for one reason or another, at 60 or 65% of his usual means (otherwise, if that’s his level, how would he have had this honor?)
From the spectator’s point of view: if we buy a ticket to hear the best trumpeter in the world, even if Nakariakov now plays the Flügelhorn, it is not, but really not, to preamble with an apprentice who is trying to save furniture for 20 minutes.
At a time when time is considered an increasingly precious thing and people are hesitant to go out, we will have to think twice before making us attend to things inferior to final exams at a conservatory, or then seriously control and set time limits for these musical exhibitions.