One of the most brilliant artists of her generation leads an ensemble made up of the best up-and-coming instrumental and vocal talents from two ultra-prestigious schools: the Royal Academy in London and the Juilliard School in New York. Barbara Hannigan, who needs no introduction, impresses as much when she conducts as when she sings (or even both, as Canadians in Montreal and Toronto had the honor of witnessing earlier in 2024!).
The repertoire chosen is a reflection of the artist. Indeed, this program of Stravinsky’s chamber music, drawn almost entirely from the Russian composer’s neoclassical corpus of the inter-war period, is made up of delicately chiselled gems, finely traced in spare silhouettes and modelled on slender, stippled architectures. There’s no room for approximation in this music, and there’s no doubt that the Canadian has instilled her own sense of excellence and maniacal perfectionism in her young musicians.
That said, the extra soul is difficult to teach and transmit. While the Dumbarton Oaks concerto is a total success (in my opinion), and the Octet brims with character and truculence, certain pieces, such as the more difficult Septet (influenced by Schoenberg), are not totally convincing, even if all the i’s are dotted and all the t’s crossed. The youngsters are apparently convinced, but lack the necessary sparkle.
Young soprano Alexandra Heath stands out in a few pleasantly tangy rarities (Three Japanese Lyrics, Three Little Songs) that we’ll enjoy listening to again and again, especially as their duration barely exceeds a few heartbeats.
An inspiring album led by Hannigan, and propelled in most cases by the fresh passion of young artists to watch.
