The symphonic concert this weekend was highly anticipated by symphony enthusiasts for more than one reason: the curiosity of seeing the Nice orchestra conducted for the first time by the man who, as of September 1st, will be its musical director, and the pleasure of listening to one of the most talented violinists of his generation, the Albanian Tedi Papavrami.
In both cases, those absent missed out on these events, and those present could only rejoice in their choice.
Despite a turnout far from being full, the audiences at Friday evening and Saturday afternoon concerts were able to admire the beautiful performance of Gyorgy Rath, who conducted with energetic gestures and gave the ensemble a timbre not heard for some time.
The arrival of the Hungarian director promises beautiful evenings, and his energy will certainly be beneficial to the musicians, who seemed to have already forged a connection with him.
The execution of the overture of Romeo and Juliet by the Russian composer Tchaikovsky was a perfect example of the expression and melody of this symphonic poem in its sonata form.
A skilled orchestrator, Gyorgy Rath accompanied with the rhapsodic form suited to the musical contours of The Fountains of Rome by composer Ottorino Respighi, one of the three concerts in the trilogy with The Pines of Rome and Roman Festivals.
The overture of Berlioz’s Roman Carnival, evidently this program could not do without nods to the eternal city…, served as the lyrical counterpart intended for a symphonic concert. One could appreciate the melody of the andante that returns in the allegro, one of the most melodic passages.
Finally, we return to Tedi Papavrami and his demonstration of virtuosity in this Paganini concert, La Campanella, in which the famous Genoese violinist (who died in Nice) revealed himself as a fine melodist and colorist. It is one of the most charming works in the repertoire for violin and orchestra.
It was sheer delight to have listened to the vibrations of Papavrami’s bow, which gave the score harmonic sounds that enchanted.
