A packed house turned out on Wednesday evening for a concert featuring both the classics and the bold. From the stage of the Maison symphonique, the OSM offered an interesting arrangement of works orbiting around Beethoven’s Violin Concerto in D major. It was a concert that played with conventional form. We had Beethoven and Mozart, but instead of Haydn to complete the classical triumvirate, we had Bach and, above all, Webern!
The first part was organized as a demonstration of the long evolution of concert music. From the end of the Baroque period with Bach’s Musical Offering (composed in 1747), we move on to the very classical, but always pleasant and delightful, Mozart symphony, in this case, Symphony no. 35 in D major, often called Haffner, composed in 1782. The first part concludes with Webern’s Passacaglia, composed in 1908.
This work is something of a hidden gem in this program. The composer’s first published work draws both on the classical tradition and presents an overture to a new musical language. Not quite atonal yet, this language translates into a particular exploration of timbre, harmony and melody structure. Whereas Bach’s piece (arranged by Webern, it should be noted) presented the typical composition of the melody, and the Mozart demonstrated its intuitive and charismatic mastery, the Passacaglia opens Pandora’s box by exposing the possibilities. Graver and more intense than the other pieces on the program, this work is certainly more striking, and we are delighted to see it occupy such an important place on the program.
The orchestra rose to the challenges presented by the works throughout the concert. The strings were in the limelight, with impeccable playing and admirable finesse in a wide variety of works. The quality of the woodwinds and brass is also to be commended, particularly during a rather demanding Bach work. The virtuoso performance of the Webern probably captivated several members of the audience, especially as the intensity of the work matched the fiery new image of the OSM and its conductor Rafael Payare.
After the intermission, it was time for the pièce de résistance of the concert. Andrew Wan gave us a memorable version of this Violin Concerto in D major. The self-confidence and technical quality of the OSM’s first violin, here soloist, were evident, especially in the long solo parts of the concerto. We savour the notes that seem so precious under Wan’s virtuoso fingers. Throughout the work, one senses a remarkably balanced continuity, even through the modulations and transitions between sections. One admires the apparent collaboration between the orchestra and its first violin. We might have liked to see Wan take a little more space on stage, particularly in terms of volume and presence, but we can’t criticize his flawless interpretation.
As the first stage of the OSM’s Beethovenian journey, the concert can be heard again tonight, Thursday, October 26, at 7:30 p.m. The OSM will also present Symphony No. 7 on November 8. For more details, visit the OSM’s upcoming concerts page.
Photo credit: Gabriel Fournier
