Beatlemania entered the Maison symphonique with the ArtChoral Ensemble on Sunday afternoon, May 17th. Fans of the Fab Four, regular ArtChoral concertgoers (or a mix of both) gathered in large numbers to hear, in a classical setting, the great hits of the iconic 1960s pop/rock group.
Led by Matthias Maute and accompanied only by a small percussion section (essentially a drum kit and cowbell) under the direction of Philip Hornsey, with Antoine Joubert on piano providing occasional harmonic support and rhythmic drive, the singers of ArtChoral performed a string of Beatles hits. From “Yellow Submarine,” which opened the concert, to “Can’t Buy Me Love,” including “Penny Lane,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “In My Life,” and “Yesterday,” to name just a few, the ArtChoral singers, with their pure and powerful voices, delivered “their” interpretation of Beatles classics. It would be a mistake to dismiss any concert featuring the Beatles’ repertoire simply because the music isn’t complex, repetitive, or classical enough to be handled by ensembles of ArtChoral’s caliber.
The performance of “Michelle” and “Because” is the best example of this. Performing with only voices allows one to fully appreciate the richness of the harmonies and the complexity of the chords and timbres that shape these pieces. The interpretation of “Michelle” was ethereal, and “Because” created a mystical aura in the hall with its luminous chords and chromatic passages that constantly altered the piece’s character. John Lennon said that he composed this piece after hearing Yoko Ono play Beethoven’s famous “Moonlight Sonata” and, struck by the melody, asked her to play the chord progression backwards. Just as in the writing of this famous Beethoven piece, the language is precise, refined, and captivating. This demonstrates once again that the boundary between classical and so-called popular music is not so permeable. Another example of this connection can be found in the piece Black Bird, which, like I Saw Her Standing There, received a piano solo treatment from Antoine Joubert. The simple melody of Black Bird, itself also inspired by a piece from the classical repertoire, namely Bach’s Bourrée in E minor, provided Joubert with superb material to work with, delivering a performance with varied musical contours and great virtuosity that showcased the interpretive possibilities of this piece.
An ArtChoral concert wouldn’t be complete without at least one contribution from the Grand Choir, this ad hoc choir made up of singers from diverse backgrounds. They joined the ArtChoral singers for heartfelt performances of Let It Be and All You Need Is Love. To conclude the concert, everyone sang Hey Jude, and the audience was invited to join the musicians as the Maison symphonique was bathed in a light show reminiscent of major rock concert performances.
Matthias Maute’s deliberate choices in this concert clearly demonstrate that the repertoire of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison transcends genre boundaries, and that these two worlds are ultimately not so far removed from one another. Was it a concert of extreme virtuosity? No. But it wasn’t a dull concert either, presenting “classic” Beatles for the sake of presenting soulless classic Beatles. Everyone, from the conductor to the singers and the choir, was filled with the joy of performing this repertoire, without pretension, and sharing it with an equally enthusiastic audience who reciprocated the musicians’ enthusiasm. In these times, the love of music and the passion for sharing it are truly among the few things we need.
Photo credit: Tam Lan Truong.
