United States Various: Víkingur Ólafsson (piano), New York Philharmonic / Stéphane Denève (conductor). Wu Tsai Theater, David Geffen Hall, New York, 26.11.2022. (RP)
Guillaume Connesson – ‘Céléphaïs’ (from Les cités de Lovecraft, New York Philharmonic premiere)
Ravel – Piano Concerto in G main; Daphnis et Chloé Suite No.2
Roussel – Bacchus et Ariane Suite No.2, Op.43
Strong French winds blew by means of David Geffen Hall this week with Stéphane Denève conducting the New York Philharmonic within the music of Connesson, Ravel and Roussel. Many within the viewers, together with this reviewer, are nonetheless marveling on the corridor’s bodily transformation because of the not too long ago unveiled restoration, and gauging the acoustics. One factor is definite, as this live performance revealed, there may be heat, resonance and a presence to the sound, particularly for solo devices, that’s marvelous.
Denève opened the live performance with ‘Céléphaïs’, the primary motion of Connesson’s Les cités de Lovecraft. Connesson is likely one of the most generally carried out French composers as we speak. His Les cités de Lovecraft was a co-commission of the Orchestre National de Lyon and the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, which premiered it in 2017. The work was impressed by the writings of American creator H. P. Lovecraft, a pioneer of what’s now generally known as bizarre fiction.
Connesson has been intrigued by Lovecraft since he was a young person, when he first tried to musically depict the creator’s fantasy worlds. Lovecraft used his goals as the premise for a few of his tales and, in Les cités de Lovecraft, Connesson selected three of the creator’s dream locales as the premise of this poem. Only the primary motion was carried out – ‘Céléphaïs’ – which Lovecraft described as a metropolis of glittering minarets, blue waters, onyx pavements and orchid-wreathed clergymen.
These unbelievable photos impressed Connesson to musically paint Céléphaïs in a stunning array of melody and coloration. Denève led the NY Philharmonic in a efficiency of this scintillating music that was gorgeous for its textural readability and brilliance. Wave after wave of sound, starting from brass fanfares to shimmering cascades from the harp and celesta, swept over the viewers. It is music that’s clearly near Denève’s coronary heart, as he cradled the rating in his arm and patted it when acknowledging the viewers’s applause.
The live performance introduced the eagerly anticipated NY Philharmonic debut of Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson. Born in Reykjavík, Ólafsson studied on the Juilliard School, which is throughout the road from David Geffen Hall. Named Artist of the Year by Grammophon in 2019, Ólafsson’s recordings have had over 260 million streams. For this debut he selected Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G main.
The orchestral enjoying was very good, from the concerto’s opening crack of a musical whip to the cascade of colours that concludes it. The most compelling music making, nonetheless, was Ólafsson’s enjoying within the center motion. The stunning, lyrical traces that he spun transfixed the viewers and stillness reigned within the corridor. This is likely one of the highest compliments an viewers will pay an artist, and it’s seldom skilled.
Ólafsson performed two encores, the Bach/Siloti Prelude in B minor and Rameau’s ‘Le Rappel des Oiseaux’. In introducing the previous, the pianist remarked that one thing calmer was wanted after the exuberant ending of the Ravel concerto, and he was proper. Ólafsson carried out the Prelude with pristine tone, impeccable approach and the utmost sensitivity. The Rameau was considerably extra raucous as Ólafsson imitated fowl calls with appeal and bravura.
In the second half of the live performance, Denève and the orchestra gave exuberant accounts of Roussel’s Bacchus et Ariane Suite No.2 and Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé Suite No.2. Although reduce from totally different musical material, the 2 suites are alike within the power, brilliance and drama that every composer delivered to his musical depictions of Greek myths.
Albert Roussel’s Bacchus et Ariane premiered in 1931, and the ballet owes an apparent debt to Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé. With the urging of conductor Pierre Monteux, in addition to his help, Roussel extracted two suites from the ballet. For the second, he selected three actions chronicling Ariadne’s awakening, her realization that Theseus has deserted her and her union with Bacchus.
Ravel had given the identical remedy to his 1912 ballet, which was based mostly on the story of Daphnis, a goatherd, and Chloé, a shepherdess who was kidnapped by pirates. The music of the second suite is derived from the ballet’s third act and depicts Daphnis’ dream, Chloé’s rescue and their reunion.
Denève and the orchestra instilled the opening with sensuality and vibrancy. Once once more, the quieter moments had been among the many most beguiling. Of explicit word was the chance to listen to Cynthia Phelps, principal viola, within the Roussel, and the playful, seductive enjoying of Robert Langevin, principal flutist, within the Ravel.
The orchestra and the brand new corridor’s acoustics performed their half in making this live performance so memorable, however as a lot, if no more, of the credit score goes to Denève. His pleasure in making music is clear. A live performance that had the potential to be overindulgent turned out as an alternative to be a celebration of extra at its finest, attributable to Denève’s ardour for the music and skill to convey it.
Rick Perdian