SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Other Links

Editorial Board

Google Site Search

Stravinsky, Prokofiev, Messiaen, Ravel : Igor Gruppman (violin), Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra , Yannick Nézet-Séguin (conductor) De Doelen Concert Hall, Rotterdam 30.11.2008 (BvW)

Stravinsky: L’Oiseau de feu (The Firebird): Suite no.2 (1910/1919)
Prokofiev: Violin Concerto no.2 in g, op.63 (1935)
Messiaen: Les offrandes oubliées, méditation symphonique (1930)
Ravel: Ma mère l’oye (Mother Goose) – complete ballet (1908/1911)

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

This was Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s second program this month with “his” Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra: the first presented a challenging mix of “Fireworks”: Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks preceded a few aria’s from Handel operas sung by countertenor Andreas Scholl and after the break Stravinsky’s Fireworks (Feu d’artifice) was combined with what in Yannick’s opinion clearly was the closest thing to fireworks that Beethoven composed: his Seventh Symphony.

This week’s program (called Paris: City of the world) was maybe a bit more traditional in design but the decision to include a complete performance of Ravel’s Ma mère l’oye at the end of the concert made me eager to hear this afternoon’s concert.

L’Oiseau de feu was the first ballet music Stravinsky wrote for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes in Paris. It ’s premiere on the 25th of June 1910 (conducted by Gabriel Pierné!) was an immense succes and it’s easy to hear why. Stravinsky just went on were his teacher Rimski-Korsakov (who died in 1908) stopped: the orientalisms of Sheherazade and Le Coq d’or are also to be found in The Firebird and even one of the subjects of Rimski’s operas, the evil wizard Kashchey the Immortal, returns in Stravinsky’s ballet.

It was this influence of Rimski that Yannick brought out most in his version of the Suite no.2 (the most played and most popular). The opening Introduction sounded definitely French: the orchestra exquisitely balanced, with an open but very gentle sound. Noteworthy was the fact that Yannick conducted the pizzicati in the divisi basses at the start of the Suite which immediately made the sound of the orchestra clearer and more precise than the usual muddy sound in this place…. By lingering over some beautiful details and ritardandi in The Princesses’ Round Dance the music sometimes lost momentum in Yannick’s hands but after Kashchey’s Infernal Dance he didn’t let the tension drop anymore. The Berceuse and Finale were beautifully paced and balanced and Yannick made it clear once more that he can excel in repertoire that seemed to exist in only one version in Rotterdam (Gergiev’s). In his own way he was completely convincing. To place this virtuoso piece first on the program resulted in some “warming-up accidents” in the orchestra which didn’t distract very much because the overall conception was excellent.

Prokofiev’s Second Violin Concerto (1935) belongs to the end of his “Parisian period” (it seems that he used sketches from Paris but orchestrated the concert in Baku) and was premiered in Madrid in a big cinema-theatre where the composer invited none other than Arthur Rubinstein to join him. In his Memoirs Rubinstein writes: “When I heard the beginning with the fine theme played out and developed, and the orchestra making it sound clearly and nobly, I knew I was hearing great Prokofjev….and then the second subject came in as if sent from heaven. Even the worst violinist would not be able to spoil the noble line of this melody. “

This afternoon however we had an excellent soloist, the orchestra’s concertmaster Igor Gruppman, who played it with ease and apparent pleasure. The “once upon a time” opening of the concerto making a surprising link to the rest of this fairytale-program.

Yannick found a lot of interesting details in the accompaniment but kept the orchestra in perfect balance with the soloist. He reminded me in this way of the young Simon Rattle, also a conductor who treats his accompaniments seriously and enjoys to make music together. (i.e. not the maestro type.)

The part after the break was dedicated to the memory of one of Yannick’s predecessors as Music Director of the Rotterdam Philharmonic: Jean Fournet. He died on the 3rd of November in Hilversum at the age of 95. A real gentleman and connaisseur of French music his influence on the Rotterdam Philharmonic was immense.

Messiaen wrote his Offrandes oubliées (The forgotten offerings) when he was only 21. It’s a single-movement tryptich with Messiaen’s description of The Cross, Sin and The Eucharist. From the first chords Messiaen’s language is clearly recognisable but only in the third and longest episode (marked: slow, with great pity and great love) the music really made an impression. The first violingroup excelled in this movement.

The performance of Ravel’s complete ballet Ma mère l’oye proved to be the highlight of this afternoon. I don’t know who to thank for performing this piece in its complete form: in this guise it is só much more than the five small movements that are normally played and called Suite. All movements are connected in a marvellous way by Ravel and the delicacy and inventiveness of this score doesn’t stop to amaze.

Again Yannick showed his total command by highlighting certain details, relishing every phrase and he was certainly helped by beautiful soloplaying from the woodwinds, horns and guest concertmaster Cécile Huijnen.

To conclude: this was an immensely inspiring and rewarding concert. It is clear at this point that Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s relation with his orchestra is deepening. His body language is already much more relaxed than it used to be and his conducting much more effective. At the end of the concert I suddenly thought: Wow, really, he’s got it! With patience and a good choice of repertoire this season can prove to be the start of a very long relationship. And my next wish? L’Enfant et les sortilèges at the De Nederlanse Opera.

Bas van Westerop


^{Back to Top                                                    Cumulative Index Page}