Missed, but not forgotten music in 2008
BY ARTHUR KAPTAINIS, THE GAZETTE January 3, 2009
The first Saturday of the year is not a bad time to deal with the concerts and recordings of 2008 that, for one reason or another, got away. We shall begin with the Chants Libres program on Dec. 16 (Beethoven's birthday!) of excerpts from five operatic works in progress, performed in concert or minimally staged in Usine C with backup by musicians from the Universit?? de Montr??al and the Conservatoire.
Styles ranged from way-out and electronic (Op??ra_lit?? - Operality by Montreal's Simon-Pierre Gourd, in which the singers wore wire masks) to dense and forgettable (The Maiden Tower by a New Yorker, Justine Chen). One piece could be singled out for its clarity and precision: Die Rettung (The Rescue) by Lyubomir Denev of Bulgaria.
Dedicated to "the memory of the Bulgarian Jews during the Second World War," this score wore its ethnic mantle lightly and incorporated varied sounds into a coherent music language. What a pleasure to encounter a well-trained composer who understands the expressive and narrative power of harmony. The notes claimed that this chamber opera would be co-produced by Munich and Bamberg companies in 2010. They have a potential hit on their hands.
Another event that evaded coverage was an Oct. 22 benefit recital by the French pianist David Fray for the Montreal Bach Academy. There was naturally some Bach on this Pollack Hall program of pieces in B Minor, but the big event was Liszt's Sonata in that key.
A far cry from the period-practice types normally engaged by the Academy, Fray is a sensuous and freewheeling artist of the Pogorelich school. "He dares to be tender," commented a descendant of Liszt who happened to be in the audience.
The dilemma facing interpreters of the Sonata is whether to stress the extravagant romanticism or keep the music structurally in line. Fray opts distinctly for the former strategy. But this second-prize winner of the 2004 Montreal International Musical Competition is a real virtuoso and an individual voice of the sort the piano world needs. Take note that he is now an exclusive Virgin Classics artist.
Most notable among the discs I did not deal with was Bruckner's Ninth Symphony as recorded for ATMA by the Orchestre M??tropolitain under Yannick N??zet-S??guin. My reviews of live OM/YNS Bruckner performances have been positive and I pondered long over my non-enthusiasm for this issue. Some reviewers commented on the slow pace of the Adagio but the main problem has to do with excessive rubato in the first movement, and tempos for the three main themes seemingly chosen by separate conductors. A style that works for Liszt does not necessarily work for Bruckner. Still, the orchestra sounds grand and can take pride in its audio achievement.
Which is more than can be said for group called Montr??al Baroque under Eric Milnes, who gave us Bach Cantates pour la nativit?? Vo. 4, also on ATMA. These players (plus four vocal soloists) sound more interested in creating a soundtrack to a high-energy video game than exploring the nuances of Bach's vision.
But truth to tell, many baroque performers now come across as frustrated machine gunners. I had a scowl on my face even before Karina Gauvin made her first entry in her Handel Arias album (ATMA again), so aggressive was the instrumental introduction by a new ensemble named Tempo Rubato under Alexander Weimann. A similar impulse kept me from moving past Track 1 of Natalie Desay's recent EMI recording of Bach's Cantata No. 51 with Le Concert d'Astr??e (another instant baroque group) under Emmanuelle Ha??m. That makes two very good sopranos undermined by their collaborators. ...Continue
