Canadian superstar pianist Angela Hewitt paid a return visit to the orchestra that was instrumental in launching her career. As winner of the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal's piano competition in 1975, Hewitt embarked on a partnership with the ensemble that has endured for more than half a century. On this occasion Hewitt performed Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 26 in D major, K537. She did not disappoint.
With poise and radiant clarity, Hewitt shaped every phrase with effortless elegance and a singing tone that floated above the orchestra. In the majestic opening movement, her touch was both regal and playful, balancing grandeur with crystalline articulation, while the lyrical Larghetto unfolded with intimate warmth and finely spun melodies. The finale burst forth with buoyant energy; its intricate passagework dispatched with dazzling precision, yet never at the expense of musical grace. Throughout, Hewitt’s dialogue with the orchestra felt alive and conversational, capturing the concerto’s noble spirit and leaving her audience in an ecstatic trance. Every note from the piano sparkled; her interpretation was imbued with beauty and purpose.
However, Hewitt's OSM collaborators were a tad disappointing. In the lengthy orchestral introduction, the violins lacked verve and, at times, the balance within the orchestra was subpar. Mozart reputedly once quipped that the sound of the trumpet offended his ears. Unfortunately the trumpet section did occasionally bury more important voices.
The OSM more than redeemed itself in a scintillating reading of Tchaikovsky's First Symphony, subtitled Winter Daydreams, conducted by the eminent American maestro Leonard Slatkin. A highlight was the Adagio cantabile, where Slatkin was able to elicit maximum expressiveness from each and every player. The gorgeous oboe solo (Alex Liedtke) was enhanced by the caresses of the solo flute (Albert Brouwer) and bassoon (Stéphane Lévesque). Throughout the symphony, the entire French horn section was impressively solid. Although this work is infrequently performed, Slatkin demonstrated an encyclopaedic command of the score, evoking an interpretation that was poetic and lyrical. Tchaikovsky's Winter Daydreams sat well with this audience, despite this being the time of year when we Canadians are yearning for spring.
The concert had commenced with Michael Colgrass's As Quiet As, an impressionistic work that exploits an array of orchestral timbres to depict seven tranquil settings. The sounds from a variety of unpitched percussion instruments as well as the alto flute (Florence Laurain) constituted key elements of this enlightened reading.
