First concert of the SOQ in front of an audience since march.
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August 5, 2020 22h02
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Serenade for a renewal
Emmanuel Bernier
Special Collaboration
CRITIQUE / “You can not imagine the happiness to be here with you!” The chef Nicolas Ellis was glowing last night at the helm of the Orchestre symphonique de Québec (OSQ) for the first concert before the public since the month of march.
Even if the happiness was visible on the appointments, as much on the floor as on the stage of the salle Louis-Fréchette, the procedures required by the public Health gave the event a tint special. Unique entrance via the rue Jacques-Parizeau, corridors to follow, with different stations where the staff of the Grand Theatre took it gently with the grain to ensure the follow-up of lockers, a row on two empty, two free schools, between each member of the audience, absence of the pause… The virus has certainly had no luck yesterday evening at the Grand Theatre.
To comply with the maximum of 250 people allowed in the room – including the musicians and staff – and to maximize the number of spectators, the directory has been chosen in order to assign the two halves of the concert to two distinct groups, the winds and the strings, who were each a different section of the scene, lengthened for the occasion : the first rear, second front, no chair (except cellos and basses).
Twenty wind players, accompanied by two percussionists, were first attacked, to the splendid Opening for winds in c major, opus 24, written by Mendelssohn for 15 years, a work whose joy without a cloud, suited perfectly for this evening as expected. The idea of continuing with the Serenade for winds in e flat, opus 7, Richard Strauss, was quite appropriate, since this piece of youth has several passages to the accents mendelssohniens.
After the departure of the winds and the arrival of the strings, the orchestra delivered a tribute to Ennio Morricone, who died a month ago, with the famous Gabriel’s Oboe, theme music from the film The Mission (1986) Roland Joffé. The oboe solo of the orchestra, Philippe Magnan, has interpreted the solo part with a natural and delicate. After the brief, but poignant Sospiri, opus 70, Elgar, for strings and harp, the orchestra continued with the second dish, the Serenade for strings in c major, opus 48, Tchaikovsky.
Former assistant conductor of the SOQ, the Saguenéen Nicolas Ellis was far from office of a second knife. The tempos were always ideals, with a clear gesture, alert and expressive, phrasing fed and happy manifesto to be on the scene. What more can one ask ?
Orchestre symphonique de Québec. Direction : Nicolas Ellis. Soloist : Philippe Magnan. Mendelssohn : Overture in c major for winds, opus 24. R. Strauss : Serenade in e-flat major, opus 7. Morricone : Gabriel’s Oboe (theme from the film The Mission). Elgar : Sospiri, opus 70. Tchaikovsky : Serenade for strings in c major, opus 48.
