Orchestre national de Lille opens season with Stravinsky
The Orchestre national de Lille performed Igor Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps for the first time in over 13 years as part of its season opener, conducted by Joshua Weilerstein. This performance marked a significant return of the iconic work to the orchestra's repertoire.Russian compositions dominate concert program
The concert featured two major works from the classical music repertoire: Sergei Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2, performed by Alexandre Kantorow, and Stravinsky's Le Sacre du Printemps. The program, centered around Russian compositions, drew a large audience.New piece sets the tone for the evening
The concert began with Orpheus Comet by Dobrinka Tabakova, a piece commissioned by the European Broadcasting Union. This contemporary work served as an appetizer for the orchestral performances that followed.Kantorow brings Rachmaninov to life
Alexandre Kantorow, the first French pianist to win the gold medal at the Tchaikovsky International Competition, performed Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto. The concerto, which premiered in 1901, marked Rachmaninov's return to composition after a period of depression.Kantorow's performance highlights emotional depth
The concerto was described as a hymn and a solemn love song to music, with the opening grand chords followed by an immense string melody. The balance between the piano and orchestra was noted to be better in the second movement, adagio sostenuto, where the dialogue between the piano and woodwinds offered moments of grace.Encore adds a touch of romanticism
Kantorow performed an encore, a gentle adaptation of a Lied by Franz Schubert by Franz Liszt, following a poem Vers la flamme by Alexandre Scriabin. This added a touch of romanticism to the concert's first half.Le Sacre du Printemps takes center stage
In the second part of the concert, Le Sacre du Printemps was highly anticipated. Joshua Weilerstein recalled the "electroshock" that the music of Igor Stravinsky was for him at the age of 8, composed in 1913 for the Ballets Russes.Performance captures Stravinsky's raw intensity
The experience of hearing the orchestral force of Le Sacre du Printemps was described as one of absolute rage, overflowing sensuality, violent and innovative timbres and rhythms. The piece includes moments such as the inaugural chant of the bassoon in the high register and the cataclysmic final.Weilerstein balances intensity with control
Weilerstein chose a measured tempo to begin the introductions of each of the two tableaux, preparing for the frenzy that follows. The score was approached in successive "blocks," with strong contrasts, and the conductor emphasized Russian "tradition" in the slow passages.Orchestra and audience unite in applause
Weilerstein pushed the Orchestre national de Lille to its limits in the fast passages, helped by an incisive percussion section and brilliant brass. However, he did not seek absolute savagery; his Sacre was above all a great moment of communion, with the orchestra and the audience responding with a standing ovation.
