| Label: ATMA
Catalog: ACD22647
Format: CD ORCHESTRE METROPOLITAIN; NEZET-SEGUINJuno Nominee 2012 - CLASSICAL ALBUM OF THE YEAR: LARGE ENSEMBLE OR SOLOIST(S) WITH LARGE ENSEMBLE ACCOMPANIMENT
Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Founded in 1981, the Orchestre Métropolitain today numbers some 60 professional musicians and graduates of Quebec conservatories and music faculties. The Métropolitain actively contributes to cultural and musical life by concentrating on developing new audiences, particularly young audiences, and by touring. Since 2000, the Métropolitain has enjoyed a string of successes under the direction of its current conductor, Yannick Nézet-Séguin. The mandate of the Orchestre Métropolitain is founded on values that promote wider public access to classical music and on strong community involvement, as well as on artistic innovation and creativity.
The Orchestre Métropolitain owes its excellence and recognition to the commitment and reputation of its internationally renowned Principal Conductor and Artistic Director. This international status has won the attention of aspiring conductors and soloists at the forefront of the music world, who have enthusiastically accepted invitations from the Orchestra to perform as guest artists. The consistent quality of its performances has earned the Orchestra widespread acclaim, and its numerous recordings have garnered several prizes and awards.
Gramophone Editor's Choice - June 2011
Wholenote Discoveries - April 2011
A half-submerged treasure in the dark and luxurious orchestral repertoire of the early 20th-century is the ballet/orchestral work The Tragedy of Salomé (1907) by French composer Florent Schmitt. Dance critic Toni Bentley’s intriguing book Sisters of Salomé describes the era’s “Salomania” craze. Oscar Wilde’s play Salomé that became the libretto for the Richard Strauss opera (1905) was not the only manifestation. There were also solo Salomé acts by proto-modern dancers including Canadian Maud Allan, “Mata Hari” (real name Margaretha Zelle) and Ida Rubenstein. Schmitt’s work was premiered by American dancer Loïe Fuller, also well-known for her own Salomé creations when Schmitt composed his version. After the premiere he shortened and re-scored it for large orchestra, in the form recorded on this fine disc. Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads Montreal’s Orchestre Métropolitain in an exciting yet carefully-balanced performance. The shifts of mood and pacing essential for this post-Debussy style are handled sensitively, as is the balance of solo winds emerging out of complex symphonic textures. I particularly liked the brilliance of the Dance of Pearls and the aptly-titled final Dance of Terror in 5/4 time. Franck’s Symphony in D minor (1888) has its defenders, but for me the overworked motifs eventually turn into unwelcome guests. Nézet-Séguin delivers with subtle dynamics and clear delineation of the organ-like instrumentation, enough to attract Franckophiles and those seeking to fill a gap in their late-19th-century orchestral collections. Roger Knox  Price: $20.98 |
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