The OSM welcomed some distinguished guests last night. Conductor Roderick Cox and violinist Blake Pouliot delivered solid performances that lived up to expectations and their respective reputations, in a powerful evening of vitality and virtuosity.
The concert opened with Tchaikovsky’s symphonic fantasy The Tempest. The work was inspired by Shakespeare’s play of the same title. It is a highly evocative work, constructed in several tableaux describing the play’s events in music. We could hear the waves, illustrated by the string section, and all the drama of the play, evoked by powerful brass instruments. The performance of this work is remarkable: the orchestra plays perfectly together, even in the fastest, most charged passages. Cox’s precise, sweeping and evocative gestures guide the orchestra brilliantly through the work. The interpretation is rich in contrast and nuance, and all performed with great success.
In the second half, the most eagerly awaited work of the evening: Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto. Soloist Blake Pouliot shines on stage. The solo violin can be heard very well, even when the orchestra is playing with more power. Pouliot’s interpretation is solid and convincing, and the themes are interpreted in a very singable way. The higher passages are clear and assertive. Pouliot seems at ease on stage, relaxed as he plays, smiling during the orchestral passages alone. The third movement, the concerto’s most virtuosic, is surprisingly short. But Pouliot and the OSM put so much energy into it that the finale is unforgettable. This is a performance of the highest order, amply justifying all the praise received by both Cox and Pouliot.
Crédit photo : Antoine Saito
After intermission, Roderick Cox conducts the Negro Folk Symphony, composed by African-American composer William Levi Dawson. The work presents a fairly standard musical language as far as symphonic orchestral composition is concerned, but the score nevertheless contains some nice surprises that are a pleasure to hear. The symphony is strongly inspired by spirituals, and this influence is clearly audible. In each of the three movements, a lilting, sometimes syncopated melody is first introduced by a solo instrument, then taken up by the orchestra. Once again, Cox and the OSM offer a performance rich in contrasting nuances and moods. The tone is sometimes luminous and playful, sometimes grave and solemn. The work of the percussion section is also noteworthy, particularly in the second movement.
The audience was treated to an exhilarating evening, full of (re)discoveries and solid, precise and convincing interpretations. The program will be presented again on Saturday, October 14, and is not to be missed!
For info and tickets, click HERE.
