For their first Carnegie Hall appearance in nearly a decade, the Orchestre National de France performed a spectacular program of French works from the last two centuries. Led by Music Director Cristian Mǎcelaru, the line-up included a politically charged piece by a neglected 20th-century composer, along with two exemplary piano concertos featuring Daniil Trifonov as soloist, and the Second Suite from Ravel’s supreme masterpiece, Daphnis et Chloé.
The opener was a rarity: Elsa Barraine’s Symphony no. 2. The fourth woman ever to win the Prix de Rome, Barraine studied with Paul Dukas at the Conservatoire de Paris, where she and Olivier Messiaen became lifelong friends. She died in 1999 at the age of 89 with more than 100 compositions to her credit. Though highly regarded in her lifetime, her music has now fallen into almost total oblivion. A prominent figure in the French Resistance, she was deeply affected by the turbulent events of the 20th century, in particular the German occupation of France. Her Second Symphony, subtitled “Voïna” (Russian for “war”), was written in 1938 in response to the growing threat of Nazism and global conflagration. With a nervously energetic Allegro vivace, an austerely elegant Marche funébre, and a vivacious Allegretto, the colorfully orchestrated 16-minute piece alternates between anguish, ferocity and sarcasm, calling to mind works by Barraine’s contemporary, Dmitri Shostakovich. Mǎcelaru’s highly focused, technically precise conducting style elicited an impressive account with an abundance of power and intensity.
Daniil Trifonov then dazzled in Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major. Blending deep lyricism, refinement and technical brilliance, he effortlessly navigated the diverse score, constantly alternating between reflective tenderness and vigorous virtuosity. The most memorable moments came in the central Adagio, serenely atmospheric and perfectly balanced, leaving the listener with the sense of having heard something beautiful and complete.
Following intermission, Trifonov returned to give an extraordinarily virtuosic rendition of Saint-Saéns’ Second Piano Concerto. The opening Andante, profoundly lyrical with a great depth of feeling, balanced perfectly with the shimmering Scherzo and the feisty finale. Handling the most technically demanding passages with ease and consummate technique, Trifonov made them seem totally effortless and spontaneous. Mǎcelaru once again proved a splendid collaborator, endowing the accompaniment with gravitas or bravura, wherever required. In response to the thunderous applause, Trifonov played a lovely encore: a shimmering account of Debussy’s Reflets dans l’eau.
A radiant rendering of the suite from Ravel’s elaborately orchestrated Daphnis et Chloé put the ONF forces (including nine percussionists) fully on display. Mǎcelaru’s expressive, technically precise conducting style brought out the many miracles in the score, including – but not limited to – fluid flute and horn solos, bright woodwind figurations in the Lever du jour, electrifying brass motifs in the Danse générale and all the tension and release in the orgasmic final chord.
The concert concluded with a generous encore, a complete performance of Ravel’s Boléro. Masterfully paced, slowly building from an imperceptibly quiet opening to a thrillingly explosive finish, it showed the ONF at its finest and brought an afternoon of fabulous French music-making to a vibrant and satisfying end.
