Π Π Π / Π
- Paris Salle Pleyel, January 13, 2011
- Britten Violin Concerto D, Op. 15 - Berlioz, Harold in Italy - Ravel, Daphnis and Chloe , Suite No. 2
- Janine Jansen, violin
- Antoine Tamestit, viola
- Orchestre de Paris
- Paavo Jarvi, direction
Everyone has his works that merely to hear a concert filled with joy. Double-edged phenomenon: it can exacerbate the critical provided that inhibit it. I do not know which way I lean, in any case have been addressed in the specific case of this performance of Britten's concerto, but I freely admit that I was placing the issue in any case below the interpretative performance. This concerto composed ago seventy years is almost always in the same state of disuse, at least in France, what could be the symphonies of Sibelius fifty years ago. Note that simple arithmetic can lead to the conclusion that the concerto should say in very little time to access a certain popularity. If only it could be so simple, I'd be delighted. Note that the Orchestre de Paris had once played the work in 1989 under the baton of Günther Herbig, and the bow of Alain Moglia, whose name was known to me not only as that of a former partner chamber of a pianist who played Messiaen buddy with him, and as a member of the CIS first generation (and as creator of many pages of Ligeti, Berio and Stockhausen). In fact, he was still in 1989 concertmaster of the OP. Anyway, somebody Alain Moglia: he defended Britten's concerto. I do not think that this work is only one of the ten most beautiful violin concertos from the first, or both of the twentieth century. I think most importantly, the term is heavily weighed, along with those of Berg, Bartok and Ligeti. Important because it shows something, that thing can certainly be equally divided between these four. I see one of these pages that provide a kind of compass, not a road but a direction for the future of music.
Some presentations of the concerto there accolent tone re minor (starting tone) no other tone, and the video below for example, that of re major (theoretical tone of the last section of the work). It is not philological in these circumstances to opt for a middle way, but it seems justified to characterize the first one of its dimensions which is a great invention in a tone. Part of what justifies this view is known, beginning with what is immediately audible, namely the harmonic ambiguity of the heartbreaking coda of the passacaglia, where the orchestra is circulating a simple straight the re- without further contextualization note (except that, as throughout the concerto, if flat as his hash are never heard without a pound ground intervened), and after which the violin refuse to choose to die on the trill fa-fa # . That is very simple (like many of the greatest musical ideas), and in itself a manifesto. But we could talk about so much more about this marvel that goes beyond the ode to the tone increased. All this concerto sounds like a reflection on the present and the future of the confrontation of classical harmony and enriched, not the series, but the twelve-tone harmony; of hierarchy and anarchy. And that's where we underestimate the genius of Britten: this reflection, this course in all the great composers of the first half of this century, is born of light responses, as only Berg and Bartók have proposed. Like Bartók had redefined the relationship between other, Britten seems to synthesize all the input just prior to having regard, inter alia, the functions of harmonic degree. I know of no other work with such an expressive range that handles with such skill the cohabitation of chromatic tones and progressions - and throughout the movement extreme - in real thematic developments.
The Violin Concerto is a page resolutely tonal (subtly vehement in his relationship to the relationship tonic / dominant reversed from the start) eloquently modal (by the rule given to expressive sentences with tones), and twelve-tone to force perturbations of these steps by tones. The only low of the passacaglia being the best example, almost a blink of an eye (a series, unless a note, the ground natural grade twelve who is mechanically sounds later because of the lowering of the idea semitone lower). In the same vein one could cite the interlude given to both tuba and piccolo in the II, or of course the extraordinary concatenation of ranges preparing the orchestral coda. And many other passages whose simple procedure is confusing and the result magnificent. Why? Because the music here is driven by a principle that may well still be (and would be) inspired to take greater account today: use the full gamut of motivations as strictly related to the vitality of ideas constituting material (not to determine the material itself): or how the elegance and intelligence craft must outweigh all other considerations. It is true that I speak of a work composed in 1939 is that not only we must encourage listening and practice, but that as his lesson should still resonate.
Add to this that there is something obvious staff ideal in this Britten: its climate, its orchestration, its themes, its subtle alchemy between descriptive or pictorial material and forms purely abstract, the concerto is the perfect synthesis of all the know-how of its first maturity, at the end of the American period, following the tribute to the master ( Bridge Variations, 1937) and at the same time as the two piano concertos, the first major symphony (Sinfonia da Requiem ) and Les Illuminations . The operas will start from the sudden acceleration creative, and he long ago opened the largest opera houses in the world ... unlike his instrumental masterpieces. But Violin Concerto is almost the only page of its period (and any catalog, actually) on Britten which feels the need to revert back several times, until 1958, before being satisfied with the final version and save. Add this page should also benefit from an asset that the other concertos I have mentioned, except perhaps that of Ligeti, do not have much: his stylistically idiosyncratic character, which does not detract from its unity. At a time of barbarism European-globalist and contempt, both compositional interpreted, national schools, the least we can cling shyly to bright side, as they say.
Rather than comment, I better run in question:
I also want to return again my best wishes for 2011 to my very faithful readers of the little harmony of the Orchestre de Paris - I have not yet measured in millimeters of the degree of their sincerity, but under the offering of Britten, mine are quite sincere.
is the essence of what I had to say. Jansen, Järvi (these two have recorded concerto and gave me enough desire to buy their album) and the OP did a great job. We can only thank them from the heart. This will put a little time off, looking for an intimacy of tone and a climate chamber having been somewhat at the expense of the intensity in the first movement (but what beautiful harmonics Jansen at the end of it!). Everything went better and better then, as worn by the greatness of music. It will be produced just the opposite in Harold despite Tamestit usually excellent but very timid here: Järvi Berlioz presented a post-Soviet, that is to say tending to Tchaikovsky (which is certainly interesting in Orgy robbers, even if only through their work on general discipline) without it does come to chatter, and scrape as much as a shred Fantasy rodhjestvenskienne , for example. I have nothing to say of any value to the interpretation of Daphnis which, unlucky in this context is surely the work of established stature that I hate most in the history of music (excluding Tables massacred by Ravel, who is not a work), and even what that represents to me the most deeply antipathetic in art music. Needless to say, after Britten, my ears were very far from being able to listen to this. That said, it seemed very well played, but as I said a fellow at the exit Daphnis , basically, it's always played well - one wonders why.
Theo Belaud
little concertorialiste by Theo Belaud is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution - Noncommercial - Share Terms Alike 2.0 France .
