Arturo Toscannini once quipped that it takes ten years to make a conductor... and another ten to make a good one. Kensho Watanabe demonstrated that he is well along that second decade of development as he took the reins of Montreal's Orchestre Métropolitain, sharing the spotlight with another emerging artist, Québécoise pianist Élisabeth Pion.
Watanabe launched the concert with Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice. It was immediately evident that effective rehearsing had occurred, as the tuning in the woodwind section was even better than usual. Tempo transitions had been well thought out and the overall balance of the orchestra was judiciously controlled, resulting in a secure and satisfying rendition. This piece's devilish technical challenges were well handled by the OM, in no small part due to the Watanabe's prudent tempo choices. Kudos to contrabassoonist Joelle Amar for her noteworthy contribution as well as to the string section for the sumptuous sonorities generated in their tutti passages. In general, more could have been done to lift the music off the page, particularly in the tranquil sections; nonetheless the OM delighted its audience.
Subsequent to the success of The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Dukas accepted a teaching position at L'École Normale de Musique de Paris where he tutored the Latvian pianist Lūcija Garūta. Her Piano Concerto, although composed in the middle of the 20th century, is unabashedly romantic in style and reminiscent of Rachmaninov's rhapsodic panache. Élisabeth Pion proved she was up to the pianistic challenges, as evidenced by her effortless handling of the extended virtuosic cadenza passages. Pion's extensive chamber music background served her well in a sublime duet with principal clarinetist Simon Aldrich. The OM could have been more responsive to their soloist's initiations with respect to greater use of rubato and more elastic phrasing. Watanabe should have ensured that the heavier orchestral passages did not bury the piano. Although Garūta's Piano Concerto is at times trite, Pion's luxuriant musicality undeniably exhilarated.
Although written only a decade before the Garūta, Prokofiev's Symphony no. 5 in B flat major is stylistically more daring. From both Watanabe and his OM collaborators, there was more buy-in here than in the concerto. A foreboding mood was evoked in the opening movement which, with the rare intrusions of some effusive percussionists, was characterised by an approach that allowed the full palette of Prokofiev's orchestration to blossom. The spritely Allegro marcato was superbly handled and its dance-like character was both energetic and invigorating, the highlight of the concert. The woodwind section, particularly the E flat clarinet and double reeds, sparkled here. Kudos to trumpeter Lise Bouchard on her resonant low register sonorities. To their credit, the strings educed a nostalgic sense of yearning that did justice to the dreamy Adagio. The final rondo was well engineered by Watanabe and its concluding section was riveting. Throughout, the prominent tuba part was adroitly handled by Alain Cazes.
The OM benefits from the calibre of the guest artists it is able to attract, due in no small measure to the connections of its Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Watanabe studied with Nézet-Séguin at the Curtis Institute and went on to be his Assistant Conductor with the Philadelphia Orchestra. That connection served the OM well on this occasion, his guest appearance resulting in some marvellous music-making.
