Orchestre de Paris, Salle Pleyel, October 2, 2013
musicalamerica.com
02/10/2013
http://www.musicalamerica.com/mablogs/?p=13740
Frank Cadenhead
Frank
Cadenhead
Frank Cadenhead
02/10/2013
It was a
lovely late-summer night, the outdoor tables were full with t-shirt-wearing
young. The gloomy news seemed far away: the American government shut
down, the official filing of bankruptcy by the New York City Opera, the
Minnesota Orchestra stuck in nowhere. In Musical America’s news, even the gala
opening of Carnegie Hall this same evening, with the Philadelphia Orchestra,
was cancelled by a stagehand’s strike.
In a
different world, at the Salle Pleyel, the Orchestre de Paris was playing a
concert program which they were repeating the next night in Frankfurt’s Alte
Oper and, the following evening, at the Philharmonie in Luxembourg. It
was designed to show off the principal chairs of this fine orchestra and, not
incidentally, highlight the rapport the orchestra has with their music director
since 2010, Paavo Jarvi.
The
modernism of Debussy’s Prelude to an Afternoon of a Faun, although dated
from 1894, certainly fitted in with the other Twentieth Century masterworks on
the program. Jarvi was careful, detailed and restrained and let the principal
flautist lead the others on their passionate journey. Jarvi avoided added
sweeteners; the work certainly does not need them.
Bartok’s Third
Piano Concerto, was played by Piotr Anderszewski, the Polish Wunderkind who
stormed onto the scene what seemed like just a few years ago. An international
star, he only make his debut with the Orchestre de Paris in February and was
invited back for this mini tour. Still with his easy yet dazzling technique, he
now has a bit of grey in his hair and a maturity which reaches directly to the
soul of Bartok.
How quickly the orchestra turned on their angular
modernism and responded to Jarvi’s baton with punch and drive. This concerto
was premiered in February 1946 with Eugene Ormandy conducting the same
orchestra with a free night thanks to the strike.
The Bartok
was complimented with Igor Stravinski’s Symphony in Three Movements,
from 1945. It can work wonders in a concert program; yet another work on this
program which blossoms with a gifted orchestra. Ravel’s Bolero ended the
program with gusto. It is, as we have noted, one of the “summer fun” works for
American orchestras and you would not usually hear it in the regular season
with particularly such a carefully crafted yet heroic exposition. It was a
memorable evening of orchestral magic.
http://www.musicalamerica.com/mablogs/?p=13740
By: Frank Cadenhead
It was a lovely late-summer night, the outdoor tables were full with t-shirt-wearing young. The gloomy news seemed far away: the American government shut down, the official filing of bankruptcy by the New York City Opera, the Minnesota Orchestra stuck in nowhere. In Musical America’s news, even the gala opening of Carnegie Hall this same evening, with the Philadelphia Orchestra, was cancelled by a stagehand’s strike.
In a different world, at the Salle Pleyel, the Orchestre de Paris was playing a concert program which they were repeating the next night in Frankfurt’s Alte Oper and, the following evening, at the Philharmonie in Luxembourg. It was designed to show off the principal chairs of this fine orchestra and, not incidentally, highlight the rapport the orchestra has with their music director since 2010, Paavo Jarvi.
The modernism of Debussy’s Prelude to an Afternoon of a Faun, although dated from 1894, certainly fitted in with the other Twentieth Century masterworks on the program. Jarvi was careful, detailed and restrained and let the principal flautist lead the others on their passionate journey. Jarvi avoided added sweeteners; the work certainly does not need them.
Bartok’s Third Piano Concerto, was played by Piotr Anderszewski, the Polish Wunderkind who stormed onto the scene what seemed like just a few years ago. An international star, he only make his debut with the Orchestre de Paris in February and was invited back for this mini tour. Still with his easy yet dazzling technique, he now has a bit of grey in his hair and a maturity which reaches directly to the soul of Bartok. How quickly the orchestra turned on their angular modernism and responded to Jarvi’s baton with punch and drive. This concerto was premiered in February 1946 with Eugene Ormandy conducting the same orchestra with a free night thanks to the strike.
The Bartok was complimented with Igor Stravinski’s Symphony in Three Movements, from 1945. It can work wonders in a concert program; yet another work on this program which blossoms with a gifted orchestra. Ravel’s Bolero ended the program with gusto. It is, as we have noted, one of the “summer fun” works for American orchestras and you would not usually hear it in the regular season with particularly such a carefully crafted yet heroic exposition. It was a memorable evening of orchestral magic.
- See more at: http://www.musicalamerica.com/mablogs/?p=13740#sthash.h0k0AU7K.dpuf
It was a lovely late-summer night, the outdoor tables were full with t-shirt-wearing young. The gloomy news seemed far away: the American government shut down, the official filing of bankruptcy by the New York City Opera, the Minnesota Orchestra stuck in nowhere. In Musical America’s news, even the gala opening of Carnegie Hall this same evening, with the Philadelphia Orchestra, was cancelled by a stagehand’s strike.
In a different world, at the Salle Pleyel, the Orchestre de Paris was playing a concert program which they were repeating the next night in Frankfurt’s Alte Oper and, the following evening, at the Philharmonie in Luxembourg. It was designed to show off the principal chairs of this fine orchestra and, not incidentally, highlight the rapport the orchestra has with their music director since 2010, Paavo Jarvi.
The modernism of Debussy’s Prelude to an Afternoon of a Faun, although dated from 1894, certainly fitted in with the other Twentieth Century masterworks on the program. Jarvi was careful, detailed and restrained and let the principal flautist lead the others on their passionate journey. Jarvi avoided added sweeteners; the work certainly does not need them.
Bartok’s Third Piano Concerto, was played by Piotr Anderszewski, the Polish Wunderkind who stormed onto the scene what seemed like just a few years ago. An international star, he only make his debut with the Orchestre de Paris in February and was invited back for this mini tour. Still with his easy yet dazzling technique, he now has a bit of grey in his hair and a maturity which reaches directly to the soul of Bartok. How quickly the orchestra turned on their angular modernism and responded to Jarvi’s baton with punch and drive. This concerto was premiered in February 1946 with Eugene Ormandy conducting the same orchestra with a free night thanks to the strike.
The Bartok was complimented with Igor Stravinski’s Symphony in Three Movements, from 1945. It can work wonders in a concert program; yet another work on this program which blossoms with a gifted orchestra. Ravel’s Bolero ended the program with gusto. It is, as we have noted, one of the “summer fun” works for American orchestras and you would not usually hear it in the regular season with particularly such a carefully crafted yet heroic exposition. It was a memorable evening of orchestral magic.
- See more at: http://www.musicalamerica.com/mablogs/?p=13740#sthash.h0k0AU7K.dpuf
Frank Cadenhead
Frank Cadenhead
Frank Cadenhead
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