Maxim Emelyanychev takes The Sleeping Beauty back to its Baroque roots

Suitably seasonal, this early winter, pre-Christmas series of Toronto Symphony Orchestra performances were notable for a rare concert outing of the suite from Tchaikovsky’s The Sleeping Beauty, and for the debut of the young Russian maestro, Maxim Emelyanychev. Mainly known for his work in the realm of early music, Emelyanchev quickly dispelled any perceived mismatch between leader and repertoire to deliver an exhilarating traversal of Tchaikovsky’s monumental ballet score.

As noted in the programme, Ivan Vsevolozhsy, Director of the Imperial Theatres in St Petersburg which commissioned the ballet, wanted to stage the fairy tale “in the style of Louis XIV... melodies to be written in the spirit of Lully, Bach, Rameau and such-like”. Emelyanychev drew on his experience as harpsichordist for Teodor Currentzis’ musicAeterna and as frequent collaborator with early music stars like Jakub Józef Orliński and Joyce DiDonato to accentuate the traditional French Baroque dance rhythms which inspired Tchaikovsky.

And so, we clearly sensed the trotting chassé that informs the Entr’acte to introduce Prince Désiré’s hunt as well as the more stately Menuet of the subsequent court scenes. As for the famous Grande valse villageoise popularized in the Disney cartoon version of the story, Emelyanychev kept things moving at a sprightly pace, avoiding any tendency to wallow in moments which can tend towards cliche or sentimentality. 

But neither was the audience robbed of any of the big moments, with the TSO rising to formidable dynamic levels for the big climaxes in the grand Rose Adagio and the finale of the introduction to the Prologue. The horns may have sounded a bit raw in these moments, but the visceral thrill was undeniable. Much more subtle was the gorgeous harp cadenza that introduces the Rose Adagio (soloist unnamed) and the moving cello solo that launches Aurora and Désiré’s scene, played with melting legato by principal Joseph Johnson.

The programme’s first half showcased another TSO principal, bassoonist Michael Sweeney who is in the midst of his farewell season. He played Italian-Canadian composer Marjan Mozetich’s Concerto for Bassoon and String Orchestra with Marimba which Sweeney himself commissioned and premiered in 2003. Subtle and soft-grained, the 20-minute piece unfolds in one long movement with the marimba providing a rhythmic pulse to contrast with the smooth, long lines of the bassoon and string orchestra. Repeated cellular melodic fragments in the strings are reminiscent of Philip Glass’ minimalism. The bassoon’s mellow tone is sometimes subsumed, but eventually emerges more clearly in its higher register from the surrounding carpet of sound. Maybe not the most adventurous of compositions, the concerto was nevertheless a beautiful way to cap Sweeney’s 30-year career with the TSO.

The concert opened with another seasonal favourite, the overture to Humperdinck’s opera Hänsel und Gretel. As was later evident with the Tchaikovsky, Emelyanychev doesn’t linger where some others might. Although Humperdinck’s more inspired melodies could perhaps have benefited from a bit more old-fashioned rallentandi, hearing a super-sized TSO in full flight was a thrilling way to start the evening.

TSO Music Director Gustavo Gimeno’s programme note indicated this is just the beginning of his orchestra’s collaboration with the young Russian firebrand. It will be fascinating to follow his journey in Toronto. Can we even hope for some French Baroque? One can dream.