Three days after the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, it was the turn of the Orchester Métropolitain to inaugurate its season, Saturday evening, to a sold-out crowd. And not with just any program. We were treated to none other than the one that will be presented by the ensemble and its conductor at Carnegie Hall in New York on March 6.
A break-in, therefore, but a break-in of a very high level, in particular because the Symphony No. 2 in D major, opus 43, by Jean Sibelius was recorded live by Atma as part of the complete work in progress. An operation which will undoubtedly require adjustments, given the bouts of coughing which erupted from the four corners of the Maison symphonique during the second movement. Not to mention the applause interrupted by Nézet-Séguin at the end of the same piece.
Apart from the somewhat precarious circulation of certain motifs between the sections in the third movement, the symphony had an entirely enviable degree of finish. The OM leader admirably captures the architecture, ensuring the passage between the many contrasting sections in an ideally organic manner.
We enjoy the first movement, which has the character of an allegretto, but also the following for the roundness of the orchestra’s sound. If the third movement (vivacissimo) sometimes had a tendency to lose the initial, exceptionally energetic impulse (was it necessary to spare the musicians?), Nézet-Séguin almost made us forget the few lengths of the finale with his generous and committed gesture.
The other hero of the evening is of course Montreal pianist Bruce Liu (big winner of the Chopin Competition in 2021), who was making his debut with the Métropolitain. He reprized Rachmaninov’s Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18, which he had performed earlier this summer with the same conductor and the Philadelphia Orchestra. However, it is his colleague Tony Siqi Yun who will take his place at Carnegie Hall next winter with OM.
At just 26 years old, Liu demonstrates impressive maturity. You’d think you were seeing an old hand at work. The conductor and he use tempos that are generally quite slow, much slower, in any case, than those practiced by the composer himself with Stokowski (an interesting testimony, but which we must avoid taking as an insurmountable reference) .
This can be heard from the very beginning, with well-felt chords from the pianist, who must have a good touch since he does not arpeggiate tenths with his left hand. The entire concerto had a rich legato and a sense of singing that would make many singers blush.
Liu avoids untimely outbursts, preferring to prepare transitions, rather than throwing them in our faces. If he sometimes comes close to crossing the subtle border between romanticism and sentimentalism (we think of the slow movement), an innate sense of control quickly brings him back on the right path. Perhaps it only lacked a little madness in the beginning (marked scherzando) of the last movement.
As an encore, Liu offered a delicate Prelude in E minor, BWV 855, by Bach, arranged and transposed to B minor by Alexander Ziloti. Great find, because the latter conducted the orchestra during the creation of Concerto No. 2 by his cousin Sergei Rachmaninov!
As is now tradition, OM began its season with an indigenous work. After Elisapie’s honorable performance last year in skilful arrangements by François Vallières, this year’s creation pales in comparison.
Controlled Burn was written by two-spirit Cree cellist Cris Derksen. The work is inspired by controlled fires once practiced by Indigenous people to prevent forest fires. The musician, seated in front of the orchestra with her console and her electric cello (which we barely heard), dialogues with the orchestra with fairly conventional effects (sounds of seagulls and explosions, sounds of bow on the instrument, Hollywood melodies on the brass…). The audience gave him a standing ovation (as they almost always do now). We will have to see how the work will be received at Carnegie Hall.
The concert resumes this Sunday, 7:30 p.m., at Sainte-Suzanne church in Pierrefonds (sold out).
