As a teenager, Alexandre Da Costa dreamed of one day conducting Tchaikovsky’s Great Symphony. On April 28, he will present his favorite symphony of all at the Théâtre de la Ville in Longueuil with the Orchester symphonique de Longueuil and the renowned German singer of Georgian origin, Vladimir Kornéev.
• Read also: Cancel the Russians
• Read also: Entertaining Essential Artists
For five years now, solo violinist Alexandre Da Costa has played a dual role: that of conductor and guest soloist at numerous concerts and festivals, taking him to the four corners of the world (he has performed more than 2,000 concerts throughout the planet as a guest artist).
On April 28, it is his own program as well as his guest artist – the first international guest for two years – that he will present with symphonic romance. A celebration of the return of symphonic concerts in their usual scale, bringing together around sixty musicians on stage and without restriction.
“I made myself a gift of programming the 5and symphony, explains the conductor. I have the luxury, the chance and the honor to be able to conduct my favorite symphony and to welcome this fabulous singer, Vladimir Korneev, who is a Georgian refugee living in Germany and who is a star in Europe. I am very proud to present it here. He is a complete artist, from head to toe.”
If he chose to invite the German singer (also actor) – a distinguished member of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts and the youngest recipient of the performing arts department – who will perform pieces from his own repertoire as well as songs in various languages, it’s for its artistic side, but also for its human side.
“He fled Georgia to go to Germany, but he’s also a very active social media activist,” he said. He is a man extremely sensitive to what is happening at the moment. He is a citizen of the world. You have to listen to it to understand what is happening right now from all points of view, including the human point of view.
The conductor – who will perform a seven-minute piece with his famous Stradivarius at the start of the show – promises a very generous concert and a concept rarely presented in Montreal and the surrounding area. He also adds with a laugh that this concert will “make the hair on the heads of purists”.
“symphonic romance, it’s fifty minutes of pure human feelings, explains the one who finds castrating the fact that the spectators can usually applaud only at the end of a classical concert. That’s a lot to ask of a person who is going through special moments, which is why there will be four movements – representing four periods of Tchaikovsky’s life – and why I want people to clap in between those movements.”
Thoughts for Ukraine
Among the musicians on stage will be Kathia Bradigina, a cellist from Ukraine. Is this a way of supporting this country at war attacked by the Russians?
“It’s the heritage of humanity that we share, explains the 43-year-old conductor who believes in art as a driving force for changing mentalities. Whenever possible, the flag is shown and the Ukrainian national anthem is played. You have to sow good and denounce evil and, as an artist, be against violence and injustice. When there is a large gathering, you have to recognize as a human being that something is not right. We will have a thought from beginning to end for all those who suffer.
As for programming Russian music at the moment, the artist explains that he wondered about it and concluded that the guest artist was not Russian, that Tchaikovsky – whose childhood home just happened to be to be destroyed by the Russians – wrote his first symphony in Ukraine and that editions of his music are in the West.
“If we followed this logic, we would not have the right to play composers from here knowing everything that happened back home, in the native residential schools, continues the artist who is preparing a world tour in the largest venues in Colombia and Brazil. Art is essential! What will remain is what has been done which is timeless. Art is the only thing that crosses the centuries without aging.
The concert symphonic romance will be presented on April 28 at the room Pratt & Whitney Canada to Longueuil. Tickets: