SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Ravel, De Falla, Debussy : Nicholas Angelich (piano), Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra/Yannick Nézet-Séguin (conductor),De Doelen Concert Hall, Rotterdam, 26.1.2008 (BvW)

Ravel: Alborada del gracioso (1905/1918)
De Falla:Nights in the gardens of Spain (1911-15)
Debussy: Ibéria from Images (1906-08)
Ravel: Rhapsodie Espagnole (1907)

Yannick Nézet-Séguin -  Picture © Marco Borggreve

 

After his very successful concerts last November with Richard Strauss' Tod und Verklärung and a surprisingly "authentic" Eroica, Yannick Nézet-Séguin was back in Rotterdam this week to conduct his Rotterdam Philharmonic in repertoire (Debussy, Ravel) with which he impressed them back in October 2006. It was after these concerts that he was chosen unanimously by the orchestra as their new Music Director, succeeding Valery Gergiev in August 2008. Gergiev was Music Director for 13 years so this appointment clearly announced a new era for the orchestra.

The program of this evening (called "Spanish Nights) was handpicked by Yannick Nézet-Séguin himself as we learned from an interview with him (between Ravel's Alborada and De Falla) by Jan Raes, the orchestra's general director Nézet-Séguin had also invited the pianist Nicholas Angelich with whom he worked already in the past. A beautiful program then, difficult to bring off  successfully in front of an audience because of the concentration needed by the orchestra, the audience and, of course, the conductor.

The Rotterdam Philharmonic has quite a history with French music, two of its former Music Directors, Eduard Flipse and Jean Fournet being real champions of this repertoire. Even Gergiev conducted some Debussy ( Jeux, Saint Sébastien, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune and a very rough but exciting La Mer). So how did Nézet-Séguin and his orchestra do? I would say, nearly perfectly.

Concentration was 100% on all sides, with an enormous compliment due to the audience, perfectly silent for the whole concert (which was recorded live for a future cd-release). Orchestra and conductor reminded me sometimes of an engaged couple all the time proving how much they love eachother and also proving to the other person how right he/she was to choose him/her. This explains partly my "nearly perfect", because Nézet-Séguin could give usefully his players more freedom (they are used to it !) and just let go. The Rotterdam Philharmonic is an unbelievable virtuosic orchestra which (after 13 years working with Gergiev) doesn't know the word fear! Sometimes it looks as though Nézet-Séguin wants to prove to them that he also knows the score (conducting by heart, conducting solos). I don't think he has to prove anything: they choose him unanimously and are visibly so happy with him that he can stop proving himself right now and just make music. His enthusiasm is overwhelming but sometimes also tiring (especially watching him in long forte passages: you don't have to indicate a forte forever) and that's a pity because the audible results where fantastic.

Already in Alborada del gracioso I was impressed by the beautiful balance in the orchestra, clearly the result of careful work on the sound during rehearsals. Everything was audible, which is an achievement in this complex score. After this there was a long break to put the piano on the platform during which we had the opportunity of  listening to an interview with "Yannick" (as he's called here already) confirming his charming personality and his longing to communicate with his audience. (I never heard Gergiev speaking during a concert).

After this we went into "the gardens of Spain" with De Falla and Yannick. His "accompaniments" in these "Symphonic Impressions for piano and orchestra" were exceptionally good in colour, rhythm and balance. What a pity then that Nicholas Angelich's playing appeared to be "walking" in some other country's gardens: it sounded nice and elegant but totally without Spanish character and lacking any kind of inspiration. A missed opportunity.

But inspiration was everywhere to be heard after the break. Nézet-Séguin conducted Debussy's Ibéria and Ravel's Rhapsodie espagnole with such natural feeling for tempi, dynamics and colour that both pieces sounded much easier than they actually are. Among some gorgeous woodwind playing there was the big oboe/viola solo in "Par les rues et par les chemins" played as if  by a single Spanish singer by first oboist Remco de Vries and principal violist Anne Huser with such passion that the atmosphere was really hot .

When Jan Raes, who presented this evening in a most elegant and convincing way, announced the "Habanera" (from the Rhapsodie espagnole) as being a very seductive dance full of erotic implications (after which there was a long silence) it was time to let the music speak for itself once more.  And it did: at last. Yannick Nézet-Séguin unleashed his orchestra ("a wild beast" according to Sir Simon Rattle) and now we could hear what was really possible from this potentially golden combination: passion, fire and energy. We smelled sweat and perfume in the sensuous night, were seduced by the Habanera and celebrated the Feria, full of bright light, raw energy and with a whirlwind of sound leading to an inescapable ending after which the audience rose to applaude this amazing young conductor and his equally amazing orchestra. What a joy to see such eager music making from both sides, and what a promise for the future this combination is. It made me longing for more: what about a complete Daphnis et Chloë or L'Enfant et les sortilèges at the Dutch Opera, maybe Bizet's Carmen or Honegger's Jeanne d'Arc au bûcher? At least next season we will get more Ravel (a complete Ma mère l'oye) and I'm already looking forward to that!

In March Yannick Nézet-Séguin wil be back with Bach's St Matthew Passion with Jorg Dormüller as the Evangelist, Emma Bell (soprano), Sarah Connolly (mezzo), Robert Murray (tenor), Jonathan Lemalu (baritone) and (very important I think) the Dutch Chamber Choir. In a country with a real St. Matthew Passion tradition (next March there will be at least 95 different performances in Holland) Nézet-Séguin's approach will be subject to a lot of discussion.

Bas van Westerop

Bach: St Matthew Passion performances: 19, 20 and 21 March 2008, De Doelen, Rotterdam.



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