Π Π Π / Π Π Π Π
- London, Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall, February 10, 2011
- Bartók The New Deer Bewitched, Canta Profana , Sz 94; Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, Sz 106 - Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring
- Attila Fekete, tenor
- Alexandru Agache, low
- Philharmonia Voices
- Coro Gulbenkian
- Philharmonia Orchestra
- Esa-Pekka Salonen, direction
Stood at the Festival Hall concert of the second cycle "Infernal Dances" by Salonen devoted to Bartók, straddling the 2010-11 and 2011 vintages -12, which follows the series dedicated to the Second Viennese School - the culmination of which was a sensational Wozzeck, passed by the TEC in 2009. Using the same logic, The Wooden Prince and Castle Bluebeard end this sequence Finno-Ugric to enroll in the tour of the Philharmonia and its director, whose Paris was denied this year (Attendance could fall all the better). This will be the Castle for TCE, 15 November, which will be preceded by the Music for Strings (CMCP). I'll be brutal and direct, as these Salonen, this hero, jointly Bernstein and Boulez since our generation combines roughly the best of both, which is a lot better. So, having first determined the dates of my stay in London for this one concert, I expected a poignant CMCP, breathe, unforgettable, and it did not happen, far from it. I think fair to say that only some of Salonen's fault. This is nothing new date my impression that the strings of the Philharmonia, the exact opposite of the reputation of this orchestra, not the quality (and more specifically the homogeneity) of the other London orchestras. Their commitment under the baton of Salonen never fails, as was the case during their last two concerts in Paris. But what worked in Wozzeck, driven both by an orchestra on acid, with complete fusion, and a direction he was weak to describe transcendent, does not work anymore without the woodwinds and brass, and d the less the degree of division desks of the MCPC further complicates the task. This is not a problem that seems to Bartók to Salonen: the problem was exactly the same two years ago in Transfigured Night : gesture, line, narration was sublime, the intensity of play in tune with this but the sound and instrumental cohesion perfectible and sometimes mundane.
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| February 10 at the Royal Festival Hall © Guardian |
Roughly speaking, the pattern is identical in this OSPM, which begins well, very even, which is the mark of a great leader, master of tension and long-term magician pianissimo. The III will be more frustrated with emotion but had the same clothes hanging on the lip. Rather movements peers - contradicting the simplistic representation of a precious Salonen first in virtuosity - who suffer the limitations of violins, limits a rather special kind. According to the criterion, usually decisive, degree of engagement of past consoles compared to the first, the Philharmonia is an orchestra of international elite: the problem lies rather in differences between what follows from this commitment - endnotes broken sentences, beatings bow synchronous certainly flexible but at a desk and another stiff or too heterogeneous in quality instruments, all creating too much dross in the cohesion sound. The energy expended by Salonen gives the change with this game in a cavalier, sometimes dramatic and exciting (the glissando summary and conclusion of II), but in each treatment of the theme of the finale, for example, violins private common benchmarks by the provision making the CMCP blame their lack of substantially too individual class.
In their defense, the Festival Hall is certainly not the place to play the CMCP: the room is gigantic, rather dry, overly broad, even illumination dru is against the privacy listening and perceived heat ropes. Anyway, here is a bit of water supplied to the mill of those who fantasize the day Salonen deign to take direction Philharmonique de Radio France: where, under his baton at least, does not at all these limits undesirable - when I can not even go criticize concerts in Britain without chauvinism shameless.
shame, because this part Bartók began auspiciously, with the all too rare, imperious and haughty Cantate Profane . The Philharmonia complete it showed impeccable, and Salonen, who is learned like other little or none to breathe together soloists, chorus and orchestra here offers a lesson in narrative architecture: the ark is splendid, and deployed as such is sufficient to project exactly what we hoped for a page magisterial hearing too little. One can certainly make reservations on the provision of ambivalent young tenor Attila Fekete, son and scared by turns brutal and insolent or hallucination: his ownership of the "role" is impressive, his voice a little less, if not in the projection, but it's just that the patch does not flatter the ear . Naturally, it is defensible to believe that the opposite of a Puccini tenor is needed here and that's exactly the voice is needed for that reason. Providing Alexandru Agache, though little in it sometimes is much more consensual, and that of Coro Gulbenkian plus Philharmonia Voices absolutely consensual - even if some of the good to rise gradually to the exceptional : but one of the reasons if not the main reason for the rarity of the piece at the concert she is the extreme difficulty of his chorus part? Under this wand that lit up a week earlier to demonstrate the Ligeti Requiem in Paris, this figure could almost forget. Incidentally, it was exciting to discover at the concert Colinda (Christmas Carol) of the nine deer bewitched few months with the creation of another French Colinda (-balada), very similar style, size and climate, that of Kurtág .
We will listen Rite by Salonen as we listen to Chopin Pollini by Boulez, Boulez by Wagner, Bartok by Ranki, Shostakovich by Borodin, etc.. Not like at Mass - that is another category and I will not name. No, waiting for something new, something dangerous, uncertain: it happens something that opens doors unsuspected. We're talking about artists who cross boundaries, pose new milestones and even look in other directions. When it comes down to a composer or a work for twenty, thirty or forty years, why continue to live there, otherwise? Salonen recorded his first Rite 22 years ago, with the same Philharmonia which it always comes back as 27 years. Since then it's just that, without yielding to formal requirements and virtuoso gesture, attitude to work, the vision evolved. First, a note may appear superficial if one reviews the video (full time, he remains only the sacred dance, below)) of Rite who opened the Walt Disney Hall in LA, the Investment physical Salonen has lessened considerably, depending on the slope of chastened, PS a direction control-freak its self-imposed - in his own writings Attendance for. The disjointed puppet with supernatural accuracy left much room for a demiurge more focused on a form of progressive implementation.
And just surprise the first few minutes, and may disappoint the expectations of a full half-hour orgy and cathartic. Certainly we find here the Philharmonia with all its strengths: wood and brass, including clarinets, bassoons and trombones. Pages from the introduction in the early spring rounds, I can even understand the views of Londoners who chose this event ... the Rite Latest Gatti Proms (which I heard on the radio and that was as good as or even more wild and taken as that already given excellent in 2008). After all, the National at its very best is not far below the standard Philharmonia. And again if the musicians had little motivation to challenge, however, hoped in the introduction (which is decidedly the most discriminating section of the work) more transparency and intensity in the little harmony - disclaimer only pages, the concert, I remember the introduction unreal Temirkanov Petersburg and remains unsurpassed. But disregarding all executions, Salonen and others present in the ear, it remains interesting is how to keep the pedal as long as possible in the first part, and to gases as gradually as possible. Three times the symbolic: in order, first the attack augurs Spring (Dance of teenagers), but dense wish to tempo and dynamics very reasonable, especially with irregular accents are processed without the addition usual primitive rudeness and then, leading to the progression Game abduction and brilliant brass and pedal tremolos (Early rehearsal footage with Phiharmonia below), in which the crescendo is very controlled as far as the pedal itself, which is very often, including interpretations known Salonen, the first climax of Rite : this is not the case here, preferring Salonen allow a large margin for improvement in dynamic after the pedal is to say to the woods (which would charge property) and finally This very long-term progression makes sense and finds its resolution at the end of the first part of Spring Rounds, concluded with a rare bestiality - And the least we can say is that the brass, they are very comfortable in the Festival Hall.
So that's where the thrill starts as expected, fully satisfying my expectations: the Round vivo (54-56) is simply tetanizing by the mechanical precision and logic, unstoppable, and brute force, colossal. The suite is perched on the first summit, more or less: the Procession of the Sage of the stack, in particular screams viciously to death, and that's good, you see. Dance of the Earth is attacked in a somewhat rushed (which is reassuring: there is not that Conservatory of teens who ejaculate early on bass drums), but is masterfully brought to completion then. And what a term! As probably many listeners in the room, and in any other case after hearing the concert on the radio, I thought it was a dud, as if the brass (excluding horns) had reached the end of the rat race with an eighth of delay, hence the striking effect of excess fat task of final sunset. My culture and my youth discography are potentially involved, but I really do not think there are many performers of Rite thinking to enforce the letter of the barbarity of this final measure of the first part, which is precisely to hold the end of the rise in tone (bassoons, tubas, cellos) beyond the stop coaching. I would be lying, of course, saying he found the great thing in the moment, but on returning to the hotel, it was a nice surprise waiting for me in the middle of my driver.
The second part suggests, even more than the first phase (re) experiment in which Salonen would be vis-à-vis his work fetish. Curious mixture settling voluntarily confining the violent abstraction and figuration, the limit of the excess. I think for the first course to the introduction and mysterious circles, especially the introduction, in fact, impressive density, depth of breathing. We forget the fragility of the shrill violins, to better retain the incredible pianissimo two muted trumpets (84-87), which made me believe for a moment that Salonen had concealed two backstage while they were well there, almost in front of me who was in the first block of stalls. The trumpets do as well their progress towards the Glorification the rated in acceleration masterfully conducted by Salonen: at the start of the Glorification cords show that unless they know how to finesse the same sixty bowing wild, and that means - and is not so common to sense the strings when a timpanist big muscular types like a deaf eleven shots. The Evocation of the Ancestors has wood, and again timpani overexcited; ritual action is itself the scene of action among the most daring ever proposed in the Salonen Sacre : recapitulation of the theme of Brass (138) is taken about one and a half slower than all previous occurrences, highlighting the desire dimension cataclysmic hideous Salonen already made use of this method in Los Angeles, but it seems that as the years go by, he feels the need languid passage. It is questionable in the mind - is key to some form of extreme vulgarity - and in the letter - because basically, that tempo is only slightly slower than that indicated (the Black 52), but as little almost everyone, Salonen share faster. Yes, but it's also very enjoyable. Dance sacral threatens to be far, carried out without any concession to drought exhibiting accuracy: it correct, but fat, sexual, smelly animal, for twenty-five pages of the thirty-one account that the Dance. The ultimate second wind has failed: the strings, and perhaps Salonen, light touch here, and we say tired by the entrenchment of a tour with the Philharmonia concerts Attendance.
Coda slight tail rabbit, therefore, that has not prevented the impressive outburst of enthusiasm from the Royal Festival Hall, half standing, and yet very attentive and responsive to the party Bartók. .. It is, however, recently found that the Parisian group of Esa-Pekka howl stronger than the small English, and also that they are prettier. And also that our Philhar 'ours is better than theirs, and they also eat better at home, and also ... Brief. So let's jump to the conclusion .
Theo Belaud
little concertorialiste by Theo Belaud is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial - Share Terms Alike 2.0 France .
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