Twice in the past six weeks I've had the privilege and happiness of attending concerts by the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal (OSM), under the baton of the orchestra's new conductor, Kent Nagano, who is rapidly elevating to rock-star status in this art-appreciative city.
The first event was a performance of Mahler's 7th symphony, an infrequently performed work that I wasn't very familiar with but enjoyed as it unfolded, my listening helped a great deal by the excellent program notes (reading them in French was a good little lesson, too - sometimes I'm very glad for the mandatory bilingualism of everything printed here.)
Last Thursday night I went again to Place des Arts to hear a concert version of Richard Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, the leads sung by major world talents. The music was sung in German, and there were projected titles in French and English - enough to make the stage swim in front of your augen, yeux and eyes. It was quite an amazing evening, with the performance building in power and drama as it proceeded - even at the end of the second act Nagano couldn't restrain his own excitement as he urged the singers to a second and third bow and shook the hands of many of the orchestra players, turning again and again to the audience with a huge smile on his face.
Under Nagano's direction the orchestra is not only sounding better and more musical than I've ever heard it, but happier and more cohesive; the marriage seems to be working. And the joy emanates out into the audience and the community. Nagano's professionalism, vision and joy are infectious, but he's also generous and forward-looking - offering an extra, lower-priced concert at Christmas when a René Fleming gala was quickly sold out; setting up big screens in the Place des Arts courtyard so that thousands of people could see the opening night of the symphony for free; instituting special programs for school kids; working with other arts organizations on innovative programming. The response has been quite amazing too - the Roman Catholic cardinal asked all the city's church bells to ring at the same time on the day Nagano was formally installed as conductor of the orchestra, and he was recently made an honorary citizen of the city by mayor Gerald Trembley.
We're lucky here - although most of the concerts Nagano conducts are sold out quickly, you can often get a last-minute single seat. I usually buy a seat in the top balcony for 15-18 $C, since I'd rather go to several concerts over the year than blow all my budget on high-priced seats. Montreal's classical music crowd is, predictably, pretty relaxed - you'll find plenty of people in jeans and very few wearing diamonds or even suits (though I notice that people have all kinds of cool high-heeled boots) - but they're knowledgeable and extremely appreciative. Another reason I like sitting up top is that the people there are almost always real music lovers, with no need to show off - though there's less of that here than in any city I've visited.
At the Mahler concert I sat behind what seemed to be a class of fifteen-year-old music students and before the concert I watched as the boy in front of me took out a complicated piece of piano sheet music and animatedly discussed and tried out different fingerings with the girl next to him. The other night, after the first intermission, I returned to my seat and found a young couple had moved into the seats to my right; maybe they'd been sitting higher up and had moved down. He was a Latin-looking white guy; she was black with a beautiful headful of tiny braids, and was cold; she smiled at me and huddled beneath an orange cotton stole. As the orchestra warmed up again, the young man caught snatches of music and I could heard him lightly singing along, in a lovely baritone. When the performance began, we all became caught up in the drama of Tristan and Isolde, meeting surreptitiously at night while Isolde's maid, watching from a tower, warned them of their impending discovery by Isolde's husband, the King. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the young man reach over and clutch his girlfriend's hand in the darkness. I smiled to myself, and leaned forward as the King walked slowly onto the stage.
[To see and hear something even better - here's the incomparable Jessye Norman singing the final aria of the opera, conducted by a very old but remarkable Herbert von Karajan. You don't need to understand the words: her lover has died, he's lying next to her, and she's going to sink down and die on his body at the end of this aria. It's an amazing performance by Jessye Norman; I was in tears by the end.]
Oh my, how wonderful to have such strong music in your city. We, too, often sit at the top amongst the students and music-loving seniors. Thanks for the Jessye Norman link, I love her!, and there are more great performances to explore at that site - bliss!
Posted by: marja-leena | February 20, 2007 at 05:24 PM
I see your LIEBESTOD and raise you a BEIM SCHLAFENGEHEN:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJqwuFOU-Wk
Don't miss the violin solo at the 1.42 mark.
But, no, nothing compares to Jessye Norman. Monumental, shattering. Her version of the Strauss Four Last Songs--not available on youtube--is worth seeking out.
Posted by: Teju | February 20, 2007 at 11:54 PM
oh, to live in a city again.....
Posted by: the sylph | February 21, 2007 at 04:40 PM
Hmm... a warm familiar place, this. Good to be back.
I really miss watching opera. There are a lot of good offerings here in Japan, but at about $700 on average for a ticket, it's not something I have the wherewithal to indulge in. I could better afford a round trip ticket to Europe and see something far more festive for almost half the price altogether.
Posted by: butuki | February 22, 2007 at 08:26 AM
"The music was sung in German, and there were projected titles in French and English - enough to make the stage swim in front of your augen, yeux and eyes." LOL! I enjoyed that!
I also enjoyed your appreciation of audiences. I often turn to look at people engaged with a performance. I would have liked the fifteen year olds discussing the sheet music. How moving.
Posted by: CdV | February 22, 2007 at 04:22 PM