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Showcasing Sound in a New Space

MUSICREVIEW ShowcasingSoundinaNewSpace YannickGrandmontforTheNewYorkTimes

MontrealSymphonyOrchestrainauguratedLaMaisonSymphoniquedeMontréal,itsnewhome,onWednesday.

ByANTHONYTOMMASINI

Published:September8,2011

MONTREAL—Whenamajorneworchestrahallisopened,welcomingspeechesfrompublicofficialsandboardmembersarealmostinevitable.SoitwashereonWednesdaynightfortheinauguralprogramoftheMontrealSymphonyOrchestraatitshandsomenewhome:morethan30minutesofspeeches,includingremarksfromJeanCharest,thepremierofQuebec,andaceremonialribboncuttingonstage,withfourcharmingchildrenholdingtheribbonandtheorchestra’spopularmusicdirector,KentNagano,conductingtheofficialcutters.

Butsomeallowanceswerecalledfor.Thisadventurousorchestrahaswantedanewhomefordecades.Finallyithasone,aninvitingplaceofjust2,100seats.Theauditorium’swarminteriorhaswallsofoverlappingcurvedpanelsandthreetiersofbalconiesmadefromtextured,light-brownCanadianbeechwood.

ItwasnotuntilWednesdaymorningthattheQuebecgovernmentannouncedthehall’sofficialname:LaMaisonSymphoniquedeMontréal,whichmaynotbeoriginalbutdoesthejob.ThecityisabuzzoverthisadditiontoPlacedesArts,itsculturalcenter.Thenewhallsits(onwhathadbeenanasphaltlotwithundergroundparking)rightnexttoitsoldhome,theSalleWilfrid-Pelletier,amultipurposehallofnearly3,000seatsthatwasconsideredtoobigandacousticallyindistinctfortheneedsofanorchestra.

Buildingahallinthesechallengingeconomictimesisarealachievement.Mr.Nagano,whobecamemusicdirectorin2006,isreapingmuchcreditforhisleadershipinbringingtheorchestra’sdreamtofulfillment.Sometimesamusicdirector’sartisticvisionandpersonalityjustfitwithacityanditsorchestra.AndtheCalifornia-bornMr.Nagano,stillyouthfulandtrimat59,seemstobeahigh-culturerockstarhere.

HehasworkedtirelesslytoenhancetheprofileoftheorchestraasatrueMontrealinstitution.DuringabriefinterviewearlieronWednesdayMr.Naganosaidthatintryingtogalvanizesupportforanewhall,hewenttotheChamberofCommercebeforeapproachingtheculturalministry,arguingthatMontrealwasa“starontherise”andthattheorchestraalreadyplayedadynamicroleinthecity’sresurgence.

Hisprogramforthisinauguralconcertreflectedthatvision.ThemajorworkwasBeethoven’sNinthSymphony.ButasMr.Naganosaidintheinterview,hehastriedtopresentthemasterpiecesoftherepertoryinacontextthathelpsmakeclearhowstunningtheywerewhennewandhowrelevanttheyremain.SoheprecededtheBeethovenwithworksbycomposersrepresentingthreegenerationsofcontemporarymusicinQuebec.

Therewasashort,hauntinglysubduedandharmonicallypiercingworkforsoprano(ErinWall)andchorus(theMontrealSymphonyChorus),“Jesus,ErbarmeDich,”byClaudeVivier,avisionarycomposerborninMontreal,whodiedat34in1983(murderedinhisParisapartment).Theorchestra’sprincipalflutist,TimothyHutchins,playedameditativeandquizzicalsolowork,“Envol:Alleluia”byGillesTremblay,now79,apioneeramongavant-gardecomposersinQuebec.Andtherewasthepremiereof“Qu’unCriÉlèveNosChants!”(“LetaGreatCryLiftUpOurSongs!”)bythe36-year-oldQuebecnativeJulienBilodeau,anorchestralpiecethatskillfully(andpuckishly)weavesbitsofmotifsandriffsfromBeethoven’sNinthintoarestless,pungentlycontemporary10-minutescore.

BetweenthoseworkscamereadingsofshortpoemswrittenbyJoséphineBacon,YannMartel,Marie-ClaireBlaisandWajdiMouawad,variouslyinspiredbyBeethoven’sturbulentNinthSymphony,whichconcludeswiththefamoussettingofSchiller’s“OdetoJoy.”Thoughthepoemswereintriguing,includingthemseemedthematicallyheavy-handed.Andhearingamplifiedspokenwordsinaprogramintendedtoshowcasetheacousticsofanewconcerthallwasalittlejarring.

Itishardtoassessthesoundofanyhallafterhearingonlyoneconcert.Ihadreservationsaboutthisone,thoughtheoverallacousticsareresonantandclear.Thedesignandconstructionprojectinvolvedacomplexpublicandprivatepartnership.ThechiefarchitectwasJackDiamondofDiamond&Schmitt.ArtecConsultantsdesignedtheacoustics,thoughMr.DiamondalsobroughtinateamfromSoundSpaceDesign,withwhichhehasworkedclosely.

Artechasareputationfordesigninghallswithadjustableelements,likethisone,withlargepanelssuspendedfromtheceilingthatcanbeloweredtocreategreaterintimacyorraisedtoaccommodatelargeorchestralforces.Manymodernhallshavebig,brightacoustics.LaMaisonhasmellownessandwarmth:duringtheVivierworkMs.Wall’sangelicsolosopranolinespenetratedthespaceeasily.

ButintheBeethovenIfoundthestringsound,especiallytheviolins,lackingindepth,richnessandpresence.Theadjustableelementsmayneedsomeadjusting.AstheBeethovenprogressed,thesoundseemedfuller,especially,ofcourse,duringthefinalewhentherobustMontrealSymphonyChorusentered.Theexcellentvocalsoloists(Ms.Wall,themezzo-sopranoMihokoFujimura,thetenorSimonO’NeillandthebassMikhailPetrenko)stoodattherearofthestage,justinfrontofthechoristers,andtheirvoicescamethroughvividly.MaybeIstartedadjusting.

Ihadnoreservationsaboutthecompellingperformance.Mr.Naganoisabrilliantconductorofcontemporarymusic.YettwoofthemostinterestingBeethovenperformancesIhaveheardinrecentseasonswereMr.Nagano’sFifthSymphonywithhisMontrealplayersatCarnegieHallinMay,partoftheSpringforMusicfestival,andthisNinth.

Therewasnothinghypeduporexaggeratedabouthisapproach.Whatengrossedmewashiswayofshapingphrasesintocogentarcsandsections,andbringingoutthemusic’snarrativeurgency.Theplayingoftheorchestra,ifnotalwaysflawless,waslithe,eloquentandexciting.

AftertheconcertIjoinedthemostlyyoungrevelerswhohadgatheredinanewparknexttothehall,whereadelayedvideobroadcastoftheNinthSymphonyperformancewasshown.Itwasprojectedonthesidewallofthebuilding,withadditionalsmallscreensofferingclose-upsofplayers.Thesoundsystemusedbig,blaringspeakers.ForoutdoormusicthenewgoldstandardisthesoundsystemintheparkadjacenttotheNewWorldCenterinMiamiBeach,whichopenedinJanuary.

Still,theparkwaspacked,andthecrowdlovedit.ThemusicwascomplementedbyatroupeofacrobaticperformersfromtheQuebeccircuscompanyCirqueÉloizewhodancedandtumbledtoBeethoven,sometimeswithgoofysmokeeffects.Theaudienceseemedmorerivetedbytheboomingmusicandtheimagesoftheplayers,especiallythecontinualclose-upsofMr.Nagano.

Andforthreedays,throughSaturday,LaMaisonwilltrulybeawelcominghomeforthecity.Thepublicisinvitedtohearfreeperformancesbydiverseensembles—jazzandfolkmusicgroups,orchestrasandchorusesfromeveryregionofQuebec—performinginvariouslocationsthroughoutthebuilding.

AversionofthisreviewappearedinprintonSeptember9,2011,onpageC1oftheNewYorkeditionwiththeheadline:ShowcasingSoundinaNewSpace.

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