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Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conducts R. Strauss Montreal
Maison symphonique de Montréal, Place des Arts
05/10/2013 -
Richard Strauss: Symphonic Fantasy from “Die Frau ohne Schatten” – Orchestral Suite from “Der Rosenkavalier” – Also sprach Zarathustra, Op. 30
National Arts Centre Orchestra and Orchestre Métropolitain, Yannick Nézet-Séguin (Conductor) 
Y. Nézet-Séguin (Courtesy of OM)
Last week, Montreal’s peripatetic conductor, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, brought together the forces of two of Canada’s finest mid-size orchestras—his Montreal home orchestra, Orchestre Métropolitain (OM), and Ottawa’s National Arts Centre Orchestra (NACO)—to offer three luxuriant orchestral works by Richard Strauss. Earlier in the week the 124 musicians had performed the program twice at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre. OM principals played first chair in the first half, and the NACO principals took over after intermission.
The first two works, the Symphonic Fantasy from “Die Frau ohne Schatten” and the Orchestral Suite from “Der Rosenkavalier”, disappointed; however, there were some good moments in both. The opening minutes of Die Frau ohne Schatten were fluid and engaging. Crescendos and decrescendos were lovingly shaped, there was good balance and control and warm, velvety playing from the trumpets and trombones. Despite the potential of this oversized orchestra, however, the sound lacked depth and intensity. There was little sense of direction or pulse, let alone a feeling for the magic and mysticism of Strauss’s score.
Der Rosenkavalier too got off to a good start. The horns were glorious (as they were throughout) and there was fine playing from the woodwinds and strings. The sound from the 10 double basses, however, aligned at the rear beside the percussion, was weak during the entire evening. And although Nézet-Séguin had quickly established the pulse at the beginning, it didn’t carry through to the waltzes, and particularly to the transitions, which were low-key and tepid. Aside from some fine violin solos from OM concertmaster Yukari Cousineau, there was little else of interest before the two big climaxes.
Most of these problems vanished after intermission with Also sprach Zarathrustra. Nézet-Séguin held the tension and architectural line throughout, imbuing the contrasting sections with color, nobility, joy and power. Particularly notable were the tightly-controlled opening “Sunrise”, the “Song of Faith”, richly scored for the entire string section, and concertmaster Yosuke Kawasaki’s solo passages. Climaxes were riveting, the epilogue radiant. It is a shame that the entire evening couldn’t have been as enjoyable.
Orchestre métropolitain
National Arts Center Orchestra
Earl Arthur Love
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