As English as roast beef: YNS and OM in Paris

By Mark Pullinger, 03 December 2017

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“Queyras' light timbre was like butterscotch to Lemieux's burnt caramel”

Reviewed at Philharmonie de Paris: Grande salle Pierre Boulez, Paris on 3 December 2017

Berlioz, Les Nuits d'été, Op.7

Saint-Saëns, Cello Concerto no. 1 in A minor, Op.33

Dutilleux, Trois Strophes sur le nom de Sacher for solo cello (Vivace)

Elgar, Enigma Variations on an Original Theme for Orchestra, Op.36

Ravel, Pavane pour une infante défunte

Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Contralto

Jean-Guihen Queyras, Cello

Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal

Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Conductor

Marcano and Yun: Orchestre Métropolitain and emerging stars

Ian Cochrane, 12th November

Conductor Glass Marcano and pianist Tony Siqi Yun reimagined familiar works in a scintillating performance with Montreal's Orchestre Métropolitain.

****1

Dazzling Sibelius from Batiashvili and Nézet-Séguin in Montreal

Ian Cochrane, 19th October

A gamut of Nordic moods and colours are elicited in this all-Sibelius programme comprising the Violin Concerto as well as the Sixth and Seventh Symphonies.

****1

Nézet-Séguin and the Orchestre Métropolitain in Hamburg

Mengguang Huang, 26th June

Yannick Nézet-Séguin’s charismatic leadership and the Orchestre Métropolitain’s seamless unity brought Ravel, Saint-Saëns, and Tchaikovsky to life in a gripping, deeply expressive Hamburg performance.

*****

Ophélie steals the show in Opéra de Montréal's Hamlet

Ian Cochrane, 16th November

Sarah Dufresne dazzles as Ophélie in Opéra de Montréal's Hamlet along with mezzo Karine Deshayes and the Orchestre Métropolitain conducted by Jacques Lacombe.

***11

Nézet-Séguin and Orchestre Métropolitain celebrate silver anniversary

Ian Cochrane, 22nd September

Montreal's Orchestre Métropolitain launches its season with a Bruckner Ninth that includes both an orchestral introduction and a choral finale.

****1

Inspirational guest conductor debuts with the Orchestre Métropolitain

Ian Cochrane, 17th May

The 27 year old Venezuelan conductor Glass Marcano impresses in music from Latin America and in Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony.

****1

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.

As English as roast beef: Nézet-Séguin and L'Orchestre Métropolitain bring Elgar to Paris