When the mercury hovers below -15°C, it's tempting to hunker down indoors. The many Montrealers who braved the elements to venture to the Maison symphonique were rewarded in spades by the sensational young French pianist Alexandre Kantorow's rendition of Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto no. 2 in G major.
Kantorow conjured sonorities ranging from the shimmering to the majestic. His left hand judiciously moved along a continuum from supportive to forceful; the resonance of the piano's bass sonorities was gorgeous. Kantorow's lengthy first movement tour de force cadenza was clean and transparent – no mean feat in this hall's lively acoustic. In the slow movement Concertmaster Andrew Wan and Associate Principal Cellist Anna Burden were knockouts. The hand-off from their string duo to the solo piano's initial entry was perfect, a testament to the musicianship of all collaborators. Meritorious contributions were made by the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal's first and second horn players who flawlessly executed their brief moments in the spotlight. The final movement danced, the music leaping off the page. Conductor Kent Nagano engineered a thrilling conclusion to this concerto which has regrettably been all but eclipsed by its older B flat major sibling.
The programme had opened with two other seldom heard compositions. Arvo Pärt's Swansong is meant to evoke a sense of calm and peace, which on this occasion was largely achieved by the OSM's Conductor Emeritus. Nagano is credited with having restored stability to the orchestra following the tumultuous departure of his predecessor, Charles Dutoit. The balance Nagano achieved in the final measures of the Pärt heightened the impact of the glockenspiel and harp, a beautiful moment. The programme fittingly transitioned from the Swansong of Pärt to the farewell of Jean Sibelius with his Symphony no. 7 in C major. More attention to the contour of the lines along with increased intensity when playing softly were warranted in this reading. The exposed divisi passage of the entire violin section was exquisite, literally breath-taking. Long time principal flute Timothy Hutchins, who appears sparingly with the OSM nowadays, left no doubt that he still has it.
Take advantage of any opportunity you may have to attend a concert featuring Alexandre Kantorow though; he's a musical treasure.
